


Kunoichi in the Young Justice League

by AngelicSakuraBlossom



Series: Kunoichi Kicks Ass [2]
Category: Naruto, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Naruto is with Jiraiya, Not Sakura's first time being a hero instead of a ninja, Sakura's hero name is Kunoichi, Sasuke is with Orochimaru, Team Seven met Batman before, Tsunade has passed Sakura to Batman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-23
Updated: 2013-08-24
Packaged: 2017-12-24 10:10:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 42
Words: 91,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/938711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelicSakuraBlossom/pseuds/AngelicSakuraBlossom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The young pinkette, Kunoichi, is finally going into the JL with Robin, KF, Speedy, and Aqualad. Who knew that all the heroes were lying to them. What happens when the group, minus Speedy, decide to prove their worth? The adults give them the Young Justice. How will the series have been different if Sakura Haruno was on the team from the beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Lady Tsunade hurry up!" A pinkette called, banging on a wooden door. She wore a black halter top. She had on black spandex pants that were tucked inside high heeled leather boots. She had on a black half jacket and had biker gloves on her hands. There was a breast pocket on her jacket with a dark pink flower on it. Around her waist was a dark pink utility belt. She even had a dark pink choker. "Wake up! Today's the day!"

"I'm coming," a blonde woman yawned, exiting the bedroom. She wore a grey tank top with a long V-neck and black capris.

"Lady Tsunade, have you been drinking again?" the twelve-year-old gasped, smelling alcohol on the older woman's breath.

"I was celebrating, Sakura," Tsunade smiled, ruffling the pinkette's waist length hair.

"Hey!" Sakura gasped, slapping her hand away.

"Get that ribbon in your hair, and let's go," Tsunade smirked.

"Oh yeah," Sakura muttered, rushing off to her room.

"And grab my jacket, will ya?" Tsunade asked.

"Okay!" Sakura shouted from inside her room. She grabbed a red ribbon off of her vanity and tied it behind her bangs. She rushed out of the room and grabbed a green jacket as well as some black high heels. "Your shoes are out here! Now let's go! I don't wanna be the last to arrive!"

\---------------------------------------------------------------

"Today's the day," Batman smiled, placing a hand on Robin's shoulder.

"Welcome to the Hall of Justice," Aquaman smiled.

"Oh man!" Kid Flash complained, running up to them, with Flash behind him. "I knew we'd be the last ones here!"

"Actually, you're not," Green Arrow informed him.

"Someone else is coming?" Aqualad asked.

"Who?" Robin pressed. Batman smirked and pointed behind the Boy Wonder. Robin spun around and his face lit up at the sight of the pinkette. "Kunoichi!" he gasped, running up to her.

"Robin!" Sakura smiled, jumping on him and hugging him. "It's been so long since we last so each other!"

"Five months to be exact! How's the team?" Robin asked, pulling back from the hug.

"We've split up…" Sakura frowned, her eyes travelling to the ground in sadness. "Naruto went to train with Jiriaya and Sasuke…well…" Sakura frowned and hung her head in shame.

"I'm sorry," Robin sighed.

"No, it's okay, really," she assured him, forcing a smile. "I want you to meet my new master," Sakura turned around to gesture at the busty blonde woman walking towards them.

"Lady Tsunade," Batman nodded.

"Hey Batty," Tsunade smirked back at him.

"Boys, this is Lady Tsunade, she's a healer," Green Arrow announced. "She's also a gambler and an alcoholic."

"And I've taken Sakura as my apprentice," Tsunade smiled, placing her hands on the pinkette's shoulders. "I've worked her and molded her abilities, I believe she's ready. I also resent those marks, Green Arrow."

"So you're going to join us?" Robin asked excitedly.

"Yep," Sakura nodded. "You didn't think I'd let you do this without me, did you?" she winked at him.

"Oh, Sakura, you've met Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Speedy before, haven't you?" Robin asked, gesturing to the other sidekicks.

"Yes, I have," The pinkette nodded. She bowed to them. "It is great to see you all again."

"Great to see you too," Aqualad bowed.

"I knew you couldn't stay away," Kid Flash smirked before hugging her.

"Good to see ya," Speedy nodded, shaking her hand.

"Well, if that's all, I'll be off," Tsunade smiled. "I'm not a part of the Justice League."

"Does she have to go? Everyone else gets to have their masters here for such an important event." Sakura pouted at the four superheroes.

"Don't put on your pout," Tsunade smiled. "Besides, I have to pick up Shizune from the airport before she drives herself home. Who knows what she'll do to my drinks."

"Alright, bye," Sakura smiled, waving to her.

\---------------------------------------------------------

"His name's Speedy, duh," a photographer muttered as the group walked towards the Hall of Justice.

"No, Speedy is Green Arrow's sidekick!" A woman insisted.

"Well that makes no sense," a man replied, snapping a picture.

"He's right, that doesn't make any sense," Sakura agreed, turning to the young archer. "You're an archer, why would use choose 'Speedy'?"

"Because I'm fast at loading and releasing my arrows," Speedy answered.

"I guess that makes sense now," Sakura nodded, facing forward.

"Ready to see the inner sanctum?" Green Arrow smiled.

"Born ready," Speedy replied.

"I'm glad we're all here," Aqualad smiled.

"Yeah, have all four sidekicks ever been in the same place at the same time?" Kid Flash smiled excitedly "And it's finally happening at the Hall of Justice!"

"Don't call us sidekicks," Speedy snapped lowly. "Not after today."

"And it's all five of us," Robin smiled, looking over at the pinkette.

"I hardly think I qualify as a sidekick. I was part of a team before this," Sakura smiled. "I was never really a sidekick."

"Exactly," Kid Flash nodded. "But, I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed. This is my first time at the Hall."

"You're overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed why can't anyone just be whelmed?" Robin sighed.

"Ummm…because 'whelmed' means 'to cover with water'," Sakura answered nervously.

"Oh…" Robin chuckled as his cheeks turned pink. "But, you know what I mean, Kunoichi."

"I do," Sakura smirked, holding her hands behind her back. The group entered the room and Robin and Sakura stared up at the gold statues in shock.

"That could also be why," Robin told her. Sakura nodded in agreement and they stopped in front of a door. The mechanical door hissed open, revealing Martian Manhunter and Red Tornado. Martian stepped forward, looking at them all.

"Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Kunoichi, welcome," the green man greeted. When he turned his back Kid Flash and Robin bumped fists and Sakura pulled Robin closer, messing up his hair. "You now have access to the gym, our fully stocked galley, and of course, our library." He led the group into a laptop, where Sakura promptly froze, staring at all the books.

"Plug your ears," Robin smirked.

"NO!" Sakura shouted. "I'm going to be professional about this. Who cares that I'm standing in one of the best libraries in the world! Not me!"

"She cares," Robin smirked.

"Make yourselves at home," Flash smiled, throwing his arms out. Robin jumped into a chair next to Kid Flash. Aqualad sat down across from them while Speedy stood, looking around. Sakura ran her fingers across the backs of books.

"You're drooling Blossom," Robin smirked. Sakura gasped and covered her mouth, frowning when she realized that she hadn't.

"No I'm not, Birdie!" Sakura blushed, taking a book out and smacked his head.

"Ow!" Robin shouted, rubbing his head. Sakura looked at the book before smiling and dropping herself in Robin's lap, hanging her legs off the arm of the chair. "Hey!" The Boy Wonder protested.

"Shut up, I'm reading," Sakura demanded, her eyes scanning the page of the book.

"I don't care, you're heavy," Robin groaned, trying to push her off. Sakura glared and snapped her book shut, hitting him upside the head with it.

"Bad move," Kid Flash snickered.

"I am not heavy!" Sakura shouted at him.

"I'm thirteen! I may be the freaking Boy Wonder, but you're crushing my legs!" Robin groaned, trying to push her off.

"I'm twelve and lighter than most of the things that try to crush you!" Sakura shouted at him.

"She has a good point," Aqualad nodded.

"Tell me to escape from handcuffs? No problem. Tell me to clear a pile of rubble? Easy. Kick a falling billboard away from innocent civilians? Child's play. But tell me to force Blossom out of my lap? Impossible." The boy wonder continued to mutter to himself, trying to ignore the pinkette sitting in his lap.

"Don't you forget it," Sakura smirked, turning the page.

"There's gonna be a quick debriefing on why four ice villains would attack on the same day," Batman announced. "We won't be long." Sakura didn't even give a sign of encouragement that she heard him.

"Yeah, I'll be here, not moving," Robin huffed, drumming his fingers against the chair. Kid Flash and Aqualad snickered at his misery. Sakura smirked as she turned another page.

"That's it?" Speedy growled as the heroes were finished being scanned and the doors opened. Sakura looked up, setting her book on her lap. "You promised us a real look inside, not some glorified backstage pass!"

"It's a first step," Aquaman assured him. "You've been granted something rarely anyone else gets."

"Oh really?" Speedy scoffed, gesturing to a large window, where there were visitors looking in on them. "Who cares what side of the freaking glass we're on?"

"Roy, you just need to be patient," Green Arrow told him.

"NO! What I need is respect!" The young archer turned to face the other sidekicks. "They're treating us like kids! They're treating us like sidekicks! Are you guys really going to deal with this? We deserve better!" The four teens looked at each other. "You're kidding right?" Speedy growled. "Why are you putting up with this!? Today was supposed to be the day! Step one in becoming members of the Justice League!"

"Well, yeah, I guess," Kid Flash shrugged. "But isn't step one just a tour of the HQ?"

"Yeah, except we're not in the real HQ! The Hall is just a front!" Speedy shouted. The League members masked their shock rather well, but it still showed.

"What?" Sakura hissed, standing up, and glaring at the adults.

"I knew it! None of you were even told!" Speedy shouted. "This is just a tourist attraction and a pit stop to the real HQ, through zeta-beam teleporter tubes! They go to an orbiting satellite called the Watchtower!" Green Arrow turned around to face Batman, who crossed his arms.

"I know, but I thought we could make an exception this time," the mustached man defended. Batman's eyes narrowed and he shrunk back a little. "Or no exception."

"This is not helping your case son, stand down," Aquaman demanded.

"Or what?" Speedy growled, narrowing his eyes. "You'll send me to my room like a little kid? I'm not your son! I'm not even his!" Speedy glared at his mentor. "I thought I was his partner. But not anymore." Speedy muttered the last word before taking off his hat and throwing it on the ground. Sakura gasped quietly and her eyes widened at Speedy's choice. The other males stood up as Speedy passed them.

"I guess they're right about you three, you're not ready," Speedy huffed. "And pinky isn't even a recognized hero or sidekick." Sakura narrowed her eyes and curled her fingers, raising her fists. She was about to run at him when Robin grabbed her arm. The pinkette turned around to face, her eyes narrowing in anger as he tried to stop her.

"Calm down, Blossom," Robin whispered.

"Fine, Birdie," Sakura sighed, taking a step back. A transmission came in and the screen came to life.

"Superman to Justice League, there's been an explosion at Project Cadmus, its currently on fire," Superman announced.

"I've always had my suspicions about Cadmus, this will give us a good opportunity to-"

"Justice League!" an accented voice called as another image appeared. "The Sorcerer Wotan is using the Amulet of Atten to block out the sun." A magician like man announced. "I am requesting full League response."

"Superman?" Batman questioned.

"It's a small fire and the fire department has it under control," Superman said.

"Then Cadmus can wait," Batman announced. He pressed a button and spoke "All leaguers rendezvous at Zatana's coordinates, Batman out." He turned to the four teens and narrowed his eyes. "Stay here. We'll be back as soon as possible."

"What? But why?" Robin protested.

"This is a League mission," Aquaman answered.

"You're not trained," Flash answered.

"Since when?" Kid Flash screeched, gesturing to the costumes they wore.

"He's got a point, we've been training for a long time," Sakura nodded, crossing her arms.

"You're not trained to work with this team," Flash continued.

"There will be other missions, you'll get them when you're ready," Aquaman assured them.

"But for now, stay put." Batman glared at them, which Sakura returned full force. The League members walked out of the room, leaving the teens alone.

"When we're ready?" Kid Flash growled. "How are we ever supposed to be ready when they keep on treating us like…sidekicks!" he spit the word out in disgust.

"My mentor, my king, I thought he trusted me," Aqualad sighed in disappointment, looking at the ground.

"Those guys don't even trust us with the basics! They failed to mention the REAL HQ is in space!" Kid Flash shouted.

"I agree," Sakura nodded. "Its complete bullshit!" She slammed the book onto the nearby table, cracking it in half.

"Breathe Blossom; you're letting your anger get the best of you again," Robin told her.

"I won't!" Sakura shouted at him. "How can you be so calm and okay with this?"

"I'm not," Robin shouted before calming himself. "Why didn't we leave with Speedy? If they can't even trust us with that information, then what are we even doing here?"

"Beats the hell out of me," Sakura huffed, falling back into a seat. The sidekicks looked down in a mixture of sadness, anger, and mistrust, not really knowing what to feel.

"What is…Project Cadmus?" Aqualad asked after a moment.

"Don't know," Robin muttered, looking at the pinkette.

"I don't know anything about project Cadmus, but Cadmus was the mythological founder of Thebes. Legend says that he was a prince that slew a dragon. Then, he planted the dragon's teeth and created an army of armed men who began to fight to the death. When only five survived, Cadmus found Thebes with them," Sakura answered perfectly.

"Alright, well, that certainly isn't the Cadmus we're looking for," Robin muttered. "Let's find out what it truly is." The Boy Wonder smirked and strolled over to the computer, the others following him. Robin punched a few keys.

Access Denied

"This computer has no clue what Robin can do," Sakura smirked.

"Careful, I still have your electronic diary saved on my laptop," Robin smirked, pressing more keys.

"Whoa, how are you doing that?" Kid Flash stared in awe as the screen sprang to life, numbers and letters passing by faster than he could ever imagine running.

"It's the same system as the Bat Cave," Robin smirked.

"They really should have chosen a different system," Sakura muttered.

Access Granted

"And I am in just like that," Robin smirked, bringing up a file. "Okay, Project Cadmus is a genetics lab here in DC. That's it. There's nothing else. But, if Batman's suspicious, maybe we should do an investigation."

"Solve their case before they do," Aqualad realized. "It would be poetic justice."

"Well hey, they're all about justice," Robin chuckled.

"But they told us to stay put," Aqualad sighed.

"Yeah, for the blotting out the sun mission, not this!" Robin smiled.

"W-Wait? Are we talking about going to Cadmus?" Kid Flash asked in excitement. "Because if you're going, I am totally in!"

"A raid?" Sakura smirked. "Well, you will need a top notch ninja like me in the shadows." The three looked over at their dark-skinned Atlantean companion, with smiles on their faces.

"Just like that? We're suddenly a team on a mission?" he questioned them.

"We didn't come for a play-date," Robin answered.

"There's no way I'm sitting here on my ass while the adults have all the fun!" Sakura declared. Aqualad looked at the three once more before smirking.

"I'm in."


	2. Chapter 2

Robin, Sakura, and Aqualad rushed towards the burning building just in time to see Kid Flash throw two men onto the roof and fall down. He grabbed the window before he could fall.

"Smooth," Robin smirked.

"Does he always have to run ahead, we need a plan-!"

"Forget that!" Sakura smirked, chasing after Robin. Robin jumped onto the fire truck and used his grappling hook to swing into the window. Sakura smirked and ran up the wall perfectly, beating him. "I win Birdie," she smirked. The two of them helped Kid Flash into the building before rushing over to the computer. Sakura opened the file drawer, fingering through them with Kid Flash while Robin typed on the keyboard.

"Thanks for the help," Aqualad huffed, entering the room.

"You handled it," Robin smirked. "Besides, this is poetic justice, remember?"

"Guys, there was someone in the elevator," Aqualad whispered, staring down the hall.

"No way, the elevators were shut down," Kid Flash protested. Robin ran past them, going to the pulley.

"Something's wrong," Robin muttered, pressing the 'down' button. He pulled up his glove and a holographic screen came up. "I knew it. This is a high speed express elevator."

"Why would they have something like that in a two story building?" Sakura asked. "It doesn't belong."

"Neither does that thing I saw," Aqualad declared. He wrenched open the elevator doors and looked down. The shaft extended far below the building. Sakura let out a low whistle.

"And that would be why they needed an express elevator," Robin agreed.

"You can't even see the bottom," Sakura muttered, squinting into the darkness. She took a pair of glasses out of her utility belt and put them on. Her vision turned red but nothing came in front of her vision. The pinkette quickly put the device away. "Not even my glasses can see the end. Who knows how far down this thing can go." Robin took out his grappler and shot it onto the roof of the shaft. He jumped down, the sound a mechanical whirring following him. Sakura jumped onto the wall and ran down after him. Aqualad and Kid Flash gripped the rope, sliding down.

"Looks like I'm at the end of my rope," Robin muttered, as he slowed to a stop.

"Well, look at it this way, you managed to get from level 2 to sub-level 26. That's 28 floors," Sakura informed him. "It was bound to run out at some point."

"Good point," Robin nodded. He began swinging and jumped for the small ledge. Sakura caught his arms and helped steady him so he wouldn't fall. He leaned against a pillar and pulled up the holoscreen on his glove as Aqualad and Kid Flash jumped onto the ledge. "Bypassing security…done! Let's go!" Robin told them.

"Oh! Can I do it this time?" Sakura smiled.

"Do you want everyone to know we're here?" Kid Flash muttered, looking up at the girl that was sticking to the wall perfectly.

"Sorry, but he has a point, you're pretty loud when it comes to breaking things," Robin agreed. Sakura huffed and crossed her arms, pouting. "You can punch our way out if we need to escape quickly," Robin smiled as Aqualad forced the doors open. He and Kid Flash walked into the building with Robin. Sakura sighed and swung herself into the room.

"Welcome to Project Cadmus everybody," Sakura muttered, looking around at the bleak surroundings. Kid Flash glanced around before running off.

"Wait!" Aqualad yelled quietly. Kid Flash screeched to a stop as large creatures walked in front of him. Sakura noticed that they look like a gorillas but with a much more demonic and hairless features. There were also giant tusks on the side of its face. One looked at them and Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"Don't pick a fight with everything the moves, Blossom," Robin whispered, pulling her back.

"There's definitely nothing odd going on here," Aqualad muttered sarcastically as Kid Flash joined them.

"You idiot, don't go running off like that! You never know what could be around the corner!" Sakura scolded him quietly.

"Sorry mom," Kid Flash grumbled.

"Let's just keep going," Aqualad huffed, rolling his eyes.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

Robin typed in one last key and the doors slid open before them. "Okay," Robin breathed, stepping back in shock. "I am officially whelmed."

"No you're not," Sakura smirked, walking into the room. Robin glared at her before looking back at the room. The pinkette looked around at the test tubes with electric type creatures. They were coursing with electricity and were powering a generator.

"That's why no one knows what the real Cadmus is, not even the League," Kid Flash realized. "They stay off the grid by generating their own power source. These…things must be bred just for that purpose."

"Yeah, but creating an alternate power source to stay off the grid is a pretty easy thing to do, and I've seen it a few times," Sakura told them.

"Of course, the name is a clue, remember what Sakura said?" Aqualad asked. "Cadmus created new life by planting dragon teeth."

"And this Cadmus creates new life too," Robin nodded. "Just a different kind." Robin walked over to the computer and opened a compartment in his glove, taking out a USB cable. "Let's find out why."

"Forget utility belts, I want a pair of those," Sakura smirked.

"I'd be happy to show you how to make them," Robin replied as he slid his fingers across the screen. "Just don't know if Batman would be happy. Okay, they call these things, genomorphs. Look at the features these things have!" he gasped.

"Super speed, telepathy, razor claws…" Sakura trailed off, reading a few things. "They're creating living weapons. Like an army."

"Yeah, but the question is, for who?" Kid Flash asked.

"Wait, I got something else. Project Kr," Robin told them.

"What is it?" Aqualad asked.

"I don't know," Robin muttered, narrowing his eyes. "The file, its triple encrypted, I can't-!"

"DON'T MOVE!" A voice shouted. Creatures slithered into the room along with a man in a helmet. "Wait, Robin? Aqualad? Kid Flash?" He asked in shock.

"At least they got your name right," Robin smirked.

"Okay seriously, I know I'm not that well known but it's gotta be hard to forget a person with pink hair," Sakura growled, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"You're a ninja," Kid Flash reminded her. "Aren't you supposed to be unknown?"

"Wait, I know you," Aqualad muttered in shock. "Guardian, a hero."

"I do my best," the man nodded.

"Then what are you doing here?" Kid Flash asked.

"That's supposed to be my question. I'm head of security here. You guys are trespassing," Guardian answered. "We can call the Justice League, figure this out."

"Oh, really?" Kid Flash snorted. "Do you really think that the League will approve of you breeding weapons?"

"Weapons? What are you talking…? What have I been…?" Guardian gripped his head. The thing on his shoulder turned to him, his horns glowing red. Guardian straightened and glared at them. "Take them down! Show them no mercy!"

Robin jumped in front of them and slammed a smoke bomb on the ground. He used the grappling hook to grab onto a pillar and grabbed Sakura's arm, flying through the air with her. They flipped onto the beam and the pinkette looked at him.

"What the hell? I want to fight!" Sakura protested.

"I need to hack into their system! Guard me!" Robin told her, before jumping down to the exit. Sakura nodded and followed him, sliding down the hallway. Robin held up his gloves and tapped his holoscreen quickly. Sakura turned around and bared her fists, looking around. Kid Flash and Aqualad slid down the hallway and ran up to them.

"Way to be a team player!" Kid Flash shouted at them.

"Sorry, needed to protect Birdie," Sakura answered.

"I thought you two were right behind us," Robin smirked as the doors opened.

"Everyone, in!" Sakura shouted, running into the elevator. Aqualad slid in before the door could close. The teens took a moment to catch their breath.

"We're heading down?" Aqualad asked incredulously.

"Dude, out is up!" Kid Flash shouted.

"I know that," Robin huffed, glaring at them. "But Project Kr is on sublevel 52."

"This is out of control," Aqualad sighed, rubbing his neck. "Perhaps we should contact the League."

"We came here to show the Justice League what we're made of!" The pinkette reminded them, slamming her fist in her hand. "And that means finding out what Kr is! Do you really want them to think we're in over our heads with this?" The elevator doors slid open and the group quickly slid into fighting stances, glancing around before walking into the hallway.

"Which way?" Aqualad asked.

"Well, there's two choices, Bizarre looking hallway one, or bizarre looking hallway two," Robin answered, looking between the two hallways.

"Stop!" A creature shouted. This genomorph looked considerably more human than the rest of the creatures. His horns glowed red and some barrels floated through the air, exploding when they hit the wall. Sakura growled and took kunai out of her belt along with a slip of paper.

"No way! You're not blowing us up!" Robin shouted, throwing a disk at the next barrel. The barrels exploded when they were hit. "Your explosions are wilder than mine!"

"Fine, let's go down bizarre looking hallway 2!" Sakura shouted, taking off towards the only other hallway. She put her weapons away, as they ran. Kid Flash ran ahead of them, turning a corner.

"Over here!" He shouted, placing a tank between to closing doors. Robin and Sakura jumped in after him, tumbling onto the ground. They stood up quickly as Aqualad entered and kicked the container away so the doors could shut.

"Work on that system, Birdie!" Sakura shouted as there bangs came off the door.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Robin snapped. "Alright, the door has been disabled. We're safe now."

"You mean we're trapped," Aqualad corrected.

"Uh, guys," Kid Flash called "You might want to come see this." The three walked over to the speedster. Kid Flash pressed a button and a large tube lit up, leaving the four of them breathless.

"Whoa…" Robin and Sakura chorused. Kid Flash walked past the computer, walking towards the tube. Inside the tube was a young man with black hair. He wore a white suit with a red Superman S on it.

"Big 'K' little 'r', that's the atomic symbol for Krypton," Kid Flash realized.

"Do you think he could be a clone?" Sakura asked.

"Robin, hack," Aqualad order.

"On it," Robin nodded, plugging into the computer. "Okay, weapon title: Superboy. Clone force grown in sixteen weeks!"

"He seems to be about sixteen years old. That would be one year a week," Sakura realized.

"Okay, he was created from DNA acquired from Superman," Robin finished.

"More like 'stolen' from Superman," Aqualad corrected.

"Yeah, there is no way that he knows about this," Kid Flash agreed.

"The solar suit absorbs yellow sun radiation 24/7," Robin informed him.

"And what are these creatures?" Aqualad asked, pointing the small creatures above Superboy.

"Genomorph gnomes. They're telepathic," Robin answered.

"They must be using the little guys to teach Superboy," Sakura reasoned. "And who knows what else."

"They're making a slave out of…Superman's…son," Kid Flash breathed.

"Now we contact the league," Aqualad ordered, pressing his belt buckle. Sakura took a small headpiece out of her belt and put it in her ear.

"I'm only getting static," she announced.

"Same here," Robin said.

"We're in too deep," Kid Flash sighed. "In more ways than one." Sakura put back the earpiece and walked over to Superboy's container.

"This is wrong," Kid Flash told them.

"We can't just leave him here like this," Robin agreed.

"Set him free, now," Aqualad ordered.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sakura asked. "I mean, he was created to be a weapon for Project Cadmus, no doubt he was told we're the bad guys."

"Do you really want to keep him locked up in there Kunoichi?" Robin asked.

"You know I don't Robin! But what if he attacks us?" Sakura shouted.

"Then we fight until he knows we're the good guys," Aqualad answered. "Free him."

"Alright," Robin nodded, typing away. The walls of the container slid away from the clone. Superboy flexed his hand, turning it into a fist. Sakura tilted her head, looking at the fist before looking up at Superboy. Blue eyes snapped open and connected with green eyes. He lunged off the platform, tackling Sakura to the ground. The pinkette gasped and kicked him off. She flipped into the air, landing safely.

"I told you guys he would attack!" Sakura shouted.

"Calm down, Suppie!" Kid Flash ordered.

"We're on your side!" Robin told the clone. Superboy jumped up and lunged at Kid Flash, punching him. Kid Flash flew through a glass tube and fell on the ground, unconscious. "Don't make me do this!" Robin shouted, taking out a taser. Two chords shot out, attaching to Superboy. The clone growled, grabbing them and pulling Robin forward. He punched him in the jaw and slammed him into the ground, placing his foot on him. "Okay! Now I miss having Kunoichi on me, at least she was lighter than you," He coughed, trying to get him off.

"Get off my friend!" Sakura growled, tackling Superboy. She pushed him off of Robin and began punching him. Superboy managed to dodge every blow and responded with an uppercut that hit her gut. Sakura gasped, coughing up blood. She grabbed her stomach, groaning in pain. Superboy took the chance to kick her in the head, sending her flying.

"Kunoichi!" Robin gasped. "Nobody hurts her when I'm around!" He shouted, rushing at him. He swung his fists left and right, throwing a few kicks in, but Superboy dodged them all. He grabbed Robin's cape and swung him towards the ceiling. Robin hit the roof and then fell to the ground next to Sakura, his head banging the floor and knocking him out.

"Enough!" Aqualad shouted, swinging a hammer made of water at him. Superboy flew back and Aqualad returned his water bearers to their holder. "We are trying to help you!" Super boy leapt forward and continuously punched Aqualad in the face before punching him into the wall, making him pass out.


	3. Chapter 3

"Time runs short! You must awaken! You must awaken NOW!" Sakura's eyes snapped opened and she took a deep breath, feeling like she had been cut off from oxygen. She realized that she was stuck in a tube with her wrists and ankles bound to the board behind her. She looked in front of her to see Superboy, staring them down.

"What? What do you want?" Kid Flash growled. "Quit staring at me! You're creeping me out!"

"Ah, KF, how about we try not to tick of the guy that can fry us with a look," Robin suggested.

"Okay, I like shackles as much as the next perverted and kinky girl," Sakura huffed. "But this is too much, even for me! Let us go!"

"Did you just admit to liking bondage?" Kid Flash asked, with a perverted grin on his face.

"Oh you will never get a piece of this," Sakura laughed.

"Hello! I'm thirteen!" Robin shouted, his cheeks turning pink. "Please don't talk like that!"

"And I'm twelve," Sakura muttered, glaring at him. "Are you really so innocent and into justice that you don't even know what bondage and kinky sex is?"

"I'm aware of what they are," Robin blushed. "I just don't like to talk about them. Especially since Batman tried to give me 'the talk'." The Boy Wonder shivered at the memory. The three other locked heroes snickered at his reaction.

"Alright, can we get back to the matter at hands?" Aqualad asked. The four of them turned to Superboy, who remained quiet throughout their exchange. "We sought to help you, not attack you."

"Yeah, we freed you and you turned on us!" Kid Flash huffed. "What a nice way to show gratitude!"

"Kid, please," Aqualad requested. "Be quiet for a moment. I do not believe our new friend was in full control of his actions."

"Neither do I," Sakura agreed. "When you opened the pod those gnome things, their horns were glowing red. I thought they were feeding the information again, but a small part of me said that it was a bad idea, and I told you that."

"She did tell us that," Robin nodded. "A weapon created just for this project, thinks Cadmus us the good guys and that we're the bad guys. She told us all!"

"…what if I wasn't?" Superboy asked quietly, as if testing his speaking ability.

"He can talk?" Kid Flash asked in shock.

"Yes he can," Superboy growled, glaring at the redhead.

"Whoa, not like I said 'it'," Kid Flash defended.

"Of course he can," Sakura sighed. "Are you really that much of an idiot?"

"The genomorphs taught you, telepathically, didn't they?" Aqualad asked, smiling at Superboy.

"Yes. They taught me much. I can read…write…I know the names of things…" Superboy told them.

"But have you seen them?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, and have you ever done those things?" Sakura asked. "I'm guessing that beating us up was the first time you moved, and this is your first time talking."

"It is," Superboy nodded, his voice cracking.

"Have they ever let you out of that…thing?" Robin asked. "Have they ever let you outside? Let you see the sun? Or the sky?"

"Images and names have been implanted in my mind. But…no…I have not seen them in person," Superboy answered.

"Do you know what you are? Who you are?" Aqualad asked.

"I am the Superboy, a genomorph. A clone created from the DNA of the Superman. I was created to replace him, should he perish. To destroy him should he turn from the light."

"Okay, so you do know who you are, never mind," Sakura muttered.

"To be like Superman is an admirable goal," Aqualad told him. "But like Superman, you deserve a life of your own. Something beyond that solar suit, beyond that pod they're keeping you in. Beyond Cadmus."

"I LIVE because of Cadmus! It is my home!" Superboy shouted.

"Your home is a test tube," Robin said.

"Just because you were born and raised here doesn't make it your home. We can show the sun, the sky, the grass, we can let you breathe real air and truly live," Sakura told him.

"Uh, pretty sure it's after midnight," Kid Flash told them. Robin and Sakura looked over at him, glaring. "But, we can show you the moon and the stars."

"We can show you, introduce you even, to Superman," Aqualad whispered.

"No! They can't!" A voice declared. The doors slid open and Guardian along with two scientists, a man and a woman, walked in. "They'll be otherwise occupied." The man smirked, crossing his arms. "Activate the cloning process."

"Pass! Bat Cave's crowded enough!" Robin shouted as the dark skinned woman approached the computer.

"Yeah, and there's already two of me! I don't think the world can handle a third," Sakura agreed.

"I can't even handle one of you most of the time," Robin smirked.

"Oh, you wanna go Birdie?" Sakura shouted, glaring at him playfully.

"Bring it on Blossom, I'll take you down!" Robin replied, equally playful.

"Knock it off!" The man shouted. "And you! Get the weapon back in its pod!"

"Hey, how come he gets to call Suppie an it?" Kid Flash pouted.

"Creator's rights?" Sakura shrugged, or attempted too.

"Help us," Aqualad requested of Superboy. Guardian placed a hand on Superboy's shoulder. The clone moved his shoulder, shoving the hand off.

"Don't start thinking," The scientist growled. The small gnome on his shoulder jumped onto Superboy's his horns glowing red. "You're not a real boy, you're a weapon! And you belong to Cadmus, now get back to your pod!" he growled.

"A clone or not, he's still human!" Sakura shouted.

"Uh, Kunoichi, Superman's an alien," Kid Flash told her.

"Really…? Oh…well then…he's still a humanoid alien!" Sakura corrected.

"Smooth," Robin snickered.

"Shut up," the pinkette grumbled. Superboy exited the lab, the door closing and locking behind him. Prongs came out of the bottom of the tubes and came to chest level with the sidekicks. "You touch me there, even indirectly and I will kick your ass, you pervert!" The prongs extended and pierced her flesh, electrocuting her. The three males screamed in pain with her as they were electrocuted. Sakura bit her lip and narrowed her eyes, glaring at Double X, if she had heard correctly. She screamed as a powerful shock went through her body. But the pinkette bit her lip once more, silencing her screams. She gasped in pain and pulled at her arms, trying to free herself. The prongs dug into her chest even more and she growled, biting her lip so hard that she could taste blood. She slowly opened her eyes, glaring at the door, which she watched open forcefully, Superboy standing at the entrance. The electrocution stopped and Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, licking the bite mark on her lips.

"What are you doing? Get back to your pod!" The head scientist shouted. Super boy pushed them away, slamming them into walls.

"You here to help us or fry us?" Kid Flash asked. Superboy squinted his eyes and looked up at them.

"Well, I don't seem to have heat vision. So given my two options, I guess I should help," Superboy answered. Robin's shackles snapped open and the Boy Wonder kicked open his container.

"Finally," he hissed, rubbing his wrists. "If Batman were here, he'd have my head for taking so long."

"Yeah well, at least you won't have to deal with Lady Tsunade," Sakura growled, pulling on her arms.

"Seriously? That's what you two are worried about?" Kid Flash asked in disbelief. "The WHOLE LEAGUE will have our heads after tonight!" Robin rushed over to the computer and pressed a button, opening the other pods.

"You get Aqualad, I'll handle Kid Mouth and Blossom," Robin told Superboy.

"Don't give me orders!" Superboy growled at him before rushing over to the dark skinned man. He crushed the restraints and caught him before he fell.

"And we're free," Robin chuckled, unlocking Kid Flash's shackles.

"Okay, me next," Sakura demanded.

"Are you sure?" Robin smirked. "Because you said you liked bondage."

"Just get me out of here, Birdie!" Sakura shouted.

"Alright," Robin sighed, reaching up to unlock her manacles. "Why is your lip bleeding?" he asked taking note of the blood dripping down her chin.

"I bit my lip, just hurry up," Sakura huffed. "I wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of hearing me scream."

"Okay, you seriously need to phrase your words better," Kid Flash told her as Robin undid the locks. He jumped down with her.

"Alright, now you can use yours," Robin told her.

"Yes!" Sakura cheered, taking out four kunai. She wrapped each hilt in a piece of paper and threw them at four spheres, making a large explosion. "And the chambers are gone too."

"Let's get out of here!" Aqualad shouted.

"You'll never get out of here! I'll have you back in pods by morning!" The male scientist shouted.

"That guy is not whelmed, not whelmed at all," Robin huffed.

"What is it with you and this whelmed thing?" Sakura and Kid Flash asked. The group ran out of the room, leaving the smoke and flames.

"We're still 42 levels below ground, but if we can make it to the elevator, we'll be able to leave!" Aqualad shouted. The group slid to a stop as the large ape like genomorphs came in from the hallway.

"Uh…guys…" Sakura squeaked, pointing behind them. "Those things on the walls are eggs!" The once white bulbs began glowing red and creatures broke through, glaring at them.

"Okay, that is just freaky," Robin muttered. The group jumped back as the ape genomorph slammed its fists on the ground.

"Get to the elevator, now!" Sakura shouted, running at the thing. She flipped over it, landing on another one's head. She used it as a spring board and flipped, kicking it into the one in front. She landed next to the boys and looked back to see Superboy slamming the creatures into the walls. "The ceiling, if he keeps this up, it'll collapse!" Sakura told them.

"Superboy! The goal is to escape! Not get buried!" Aqualad shouted.

"You guys want to see escape?" Superboy growled, grabbing the arms of one the creatures, he threw it at the other one and raced over to them. Aqualad wrenched open the doors.

"No fair! Robin said I could move the doors when we escaped!" Sakura pouted.

"You really think now is the time to be worrying about that?" Aqualad asked in incredulity.

"I was looking forward to it," Sakura defended.

"Let's go," Robin huffed, grabbing her waist. He shot the grappler into the shaft and flew up, holding onto the pinkette. They stop at a next level so Robin could reshoot the device. Superboy flew past them but began falling. "Oh no!" He gasped, flinging a staff onto the wall. Aqualad grabbed it, hanging onto Superboy.

"Superman can fly…why can't I?" Superboy asked.

"Don't know," Kid Flash shrugged. "But you can leap buildings in a single bound. That's still pretty cool."

"Guys, this will have to be our exit!" Robin shouted as the elevator dropped down.

"My turn!" Sakura declared, kicking the doors open and sliding into the room. "Oh yeah! That's how we do it Kunoichi style!" she cheered. Creatures slithered down the hallway, forcing them to run down a hallway to try and escape.

"Left! Go left!" Super boy shouted, the four sidekicks followed his directions. "Right!" He ordered.

"It's a dead end!" Sakura shouted.

"Are you trying to get us back in those pods, Suppie?" Kid Flash growled.

"I don't understand," Superboy muttered.

"Don't apologize! This is perfect!" Robin smiled, pointing at the vent.

"Are you sure we can fit in there?" Aqualad asked. "The three of us aren't exactly built like you two."

"No, but we don't have to, not for long, anyway," Robin smirked, jumping up to the vent and wrenching it open. "Let's go!" He shouted, sliding inside. Sakura jumped up and climbed inside, following him.

"Have I told you that I like your outfit?" Kid Flash smirked from behind her.

"Have I told you that my heels can turn into drills?" Sakura growled, glaring over her shoulder. To prove it her heels sprang to life for a moment before stopping.

"Okay, I'll stop now," Kid Flash said nervously.

"We can talk fashion later, let's go," Aqualad urged, climbing inside.

"Shhh," Superboy urged. "Listen." Sakura closed her eyes, her ears perking.

"I hear them," Sakura nodded. "Robin, we need to make our exit!"

"Right," the boy wonder nodded, kicking open a vent and jumping into the empty hallway, he crouched down and plugged his glove into an outlet. He began typing away, before turning to them and smirking. "I hacked their motion sensors!"

"Sweet!" Kid Flash smirked.

"But there's still plenty of room between us, and the exit," Sakura reminded them.

"But I finally have enough room to move!" Kid flash placed his goggles over his eyes and rushed up the stairwell.

"Let's go!" Aqualad commanded, racing up the stairs with the others.

"There are four behind us!" Robin shouted, looking at the motion sensors. Superboy turned around and kicked the staircase behind them, making it fall.

"I so call first fight with Superboy!" Sakura smiled.

"What?" Superboy growled as they exited.

"She means sparring," Robin assured him.

"We're cut off from the street," Aqualad growled, at the closed doors.

"Thanks, my aching head hadn't noticed," Kid Flash groaned from the floor. Sakura smirked, knowing that he had slammed right into the door.

"You really need to work on your short stops," she sighed. Aqualad and Superboy pulled at the door, trying to open it. Sakura joined them, pulling it as well. "It won't budge! ROBIN!"

"I can't hack this fast enough!" Robin shouted." This way!" the team ran down a hallway after him to avoid the giant monsters. They stopped when they saw that all the other hallways were blocked by monsters.

"Great, we're surrounded," Sakura huffed. The makeshift team all got ready for a fight. The creatures' horns began to glow red and the boys fell to the ground. Sakura grit her teeth, hissing under her breath as she resisted them.

"How are you still standing?" Guardian growled.

"A ninja never reveals information like that…" she gritted out before falling to her knees and clutching her head. "I can't…continue…" she breathed, falling onto the floor. The world went black for a few moments before she opened her eyes again, seeing red light filling the corridor.

"I choose freedom," Superboy growled.

"I-I feel like a fog has been lifted," Guardian groaned.

"Guardian?" Aqualad groaned as they stood up.

"Go, I'll deal with Desmont," Guardian ordered.

"I think not," Desmont growled. He held up a vial with a light blue liquid. "Project Blockbuster will give me the power to bring order to Project Cadmus!"

"Oh no," Sakura groaned. "He's drinking some potion; it's never good when the bad guy drinks some potion, especially one that he created!" Desmont fell to the ground, gripping his head. His clothes tore apart, and his skin soon followed. Under his human skin, he was grey and had red lines that resembled scars. He stood up at let out a roar. "SEE!"

"I agree with Blossom!" Robin shouted, staring at the guy in shock.

"Everyone, back!" Guardian ordered, rushing at Desmont. The monster threw him back as if he was swatting a fly. Superboy let out a battle cry and charged forward, punching the monster. The transformed Desmont punched back, slamming him into the ground. Superboy jumped in the air and Desmont followed his lead, grabbing him and flying through the ceiling.

"Well, that's one way to get to the first floor," Robin muttered, taking his grappling hook.

"You think lab coat planned that?" Kid Flash asked as he took Robin's hand and flew up to the main floor.

"I doubt he's planning anything anymore," Aqualad muttered, jumping through the hole. Sakura did the same, landing beside him.

"I have to agree," the pinkette muttered. Desmont tossed Superboy at the group. The clone slammed into Aqualad, pushing them back. The three teens ran over to them.

"Are you okay?" Sakura gasped.

"Peachy," Aqualad groaned, standing up and rubbing his head. Kid Flash ran at him and slid under the monster Desmont. Superboy and Aqualad punched him in the face while Kid Flash arched his back, creating a small hill. Desmont stumbled back, falling over Kid Flash.

"Learned that move in kindergarten," the redhead smirked.

"Superboy," Aqualad ordered, holding out his hands. They cupped their hands together and Sakura jumped on the foothold, as they pushed her up. The pinkette flipped through the air, landing on Desmont and digging her heels into his upper chest.

"Told ya I'd kick your ass." She flipped off of him before he could push her away. Robin jumped over Kid Flash and threw disks at the monster but he swung them away, rolling up. Robin slid next to Sakura, and the two watched Desmont attack Superboy once more. The ninja turned her head from the fight and looked at the Boy Wonder.

"We need a plan here, Robin," she said seriously.

"I know, give me a moment," Robin requested, watching Desmont slam Aqualad into a pillar. "Of course!" He gasped as the building shook a little. He brought up his glove and six pillars appeared, one missing the bottom half. "KF! Get over here" He shouted. The speedster flew over to them.

"Yeah?" He asked. As Desmont slammed Superboy into a pillar, destroying it, one of the pillars on the Robin's holographic diagram disappeared with the words 'Structural Compromise Damage'.

"Got it?" Robin asked.

"Got it," Kid Flash nodded.

"Go!" Robin shouted.

"I'll get to work too," Sakura told him, taking out several slips of paper. She rushed over to a pillar, placing the paper on it. Just to be safe she placed three more slips on it before moving to the next one.

"Blossom! He's on the X! MOVE!" Robin shouted at her. Sakura placed one final paper on it before running over to her friends. "Now," he told her as the disks he had thrown into the columns began screeching. Sakura nodded and placed her hands together.

"RELEASE!" She ordered. The tags exploded at the same time as Robin's disk, causing the building to collapse. Aqualad pushed Robin and Sakura onto the ground and hovered over them, covering them from the debris. The rumbling noise around them slowly came to a stop. Superboy growled and punched through the rock, and pushed the large building fragment off of them. The group's clothing had become torn and they were all breathing heavily.

"We…did it…" Aqualad panted.

"Was there…ever any doubt?" Robin smirked, giving Kid Flash a high-five. They both hissed in pain and clutched their arms.

"Poetic justice has been served," Sakura breathed, wiping her forehead. She groaned and clutched her ribs, in pain.

"See," Kid Flash smiled, pointing up towards the sky. "The moon." Superboy looked up in awe. The group noticed a black figure flying towards them.

"Bonus," Sakura smirked, jerking her thumb at the incoming figure.

"And Superman!" Kid Flash smirked. "Man, do we keep our promises or what!?" Slowly, one by one, the members of the Justice League landed around the building, looking at them with stern faces.

"Oh…not bonus," Sakura muttered, stepping back. Green Lantern landed his energy disk for the heroes that could not fly. Superboy stepped towards Superman, who narrowed his eyes. The clone lifted the torn part of the suit, showing the insignia on it.

"Is that what I think it is?" Batman asked lowly.

"He doesn't like being called an 'it'," Kid Flash warned them.

"Superman...meet Superboy," Sakura sighed, gesturing to the two.

"I'm Superman's clone!" Superboy declared.

"Start talking," Batman demanded.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The five teens stood away from the adults, their arms crossed.

"Man, this is so unfair," Kid Flash muttered.

"I know, we practically solve the case, or at least gave them a huge start, and we'll get in trouble," Robin huffed. "Blossom? What's wrong? You've been silent." The pinkette looked at the ground before looking up with sad eyes.

"I heard him…" She whispered.

"Heard who?" Aqualad asked.

"Batman and Green Arrow," Sakura answered, sniffing. She rubbed her nose before taking a shaky breath. "Batman said he was going to send me back to my village."

"What!? He can't do that!" Robin gasped.

"He can and he will," Sakura sighed, crossing her arms once more.

"Don't worry, I won't let him," Robin assured her. He pulled the younger girl closer in a side hug. Superman walked up to the group, bringing the conversation to a quick end.

"We'll figure something out for you," he told his clone. "The League will, I mean. But, for now, I better go make sure they get that Blockbuster creature squared away." With that Superman turned around and flew away in the night sky.

"Cadmus will be investigated, all 52 levels," Batman told them as he and Flash walked up to the group. "But let's get one thing clear-"

"You should have called," Flash interrupted.

"End results aside, we are not happy. You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders and endangered your lives," Batman scolded. "You will not be doing this again. And Kunoichi will be sent back to her village for more training."

"You can't do that to me!" Sakura protested. the teenaged Atlantean placed a hand on her shoulder, quieting her.

"I am sorry," Aqualad said, stepping forward. "But we will do this again. And Kunoichi will not be going back to her village."

"Aqualad, stand down," Aquaman ordered.

"I apologize my king, but I will not," Aqualad answered. Aquaman narrowed his eyes at his partner. "We did good work here tonight. We used the skills we were taught to use and formed something powerful and important."

"Look, if this is about how you were treated back at the hall, the three of you-!"

"The five of us!" Kid Flash interrupted his mentor.

"Batman," Robin sighed, letting go of Sakura and stepping forward. "We're ready to use everything you taught us. And this should prove it! Why would you teach us at all if you were just going to treat us like this?"

"I'm not going to let you tell me what to do," Sakura declared. "You may be Birdie's mentor, but you aren't mine."

"Your options are simple," Superboy shouted "Get on board, our get out of our way!" The five teens stood tall, refusing to back down.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

The next day the group was gathered inside a large room that was inside a mountain. Several members were flying around, cleaning the place up.

"This cave was the original HQ of the Justice League," Batman informed them. "We're putting it back to use again. Since you five are determined to stay together and fight, you shall be doing it on League terms. Red Tornado has volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary will be in charge of training. I will deploy you on missions."

"Real missions?" Robin asked with a smirk.

"Yes, but they will be covert," Batman answered.

"The League will still handle the obvious stuff," Flash told them. "There's a reason why we have these targets on our chests."

"But Cadmus proves that the bad guys are getting smarter," Aquaman told them. "Batman needs a team to operate on the sly, and in secret."

"Sounds like my kind of mission," Sakura smirked, placing a hand on her hip.

"The six of you will be that team," Batman nodded.

"Cool," Robin smiled when the words sunk in. "Wait, 'six'?" Batman looked behind them and the group turned around seeing Martian Manhunter walk into the room with a young, green skinned girl.

"This is Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian," Batman introduced.

"I'm liking this job more already," Kid Flash smirked. "I'm Kid Flash," he introduced, stepping forward. "That's Robin, Aqualad, its cool forget their names!"

"I'm honored to be included," Miss Martian smiled.

"Hey flash-boy," Sakura growled, kicking the speedster in the back of the head. She pushed him to the ground, glaring at him. "You forgot about me and Superboy!" She stepped off of Kid Flash and walked over to Miss Martian. "I'm Kunoichi. And I can tell, we're going to be great friends!" The pinkette hugged Miss Martian, to which the green skinned alien blushed. The three boys walked over to her, smiling as Sakura let go.

"Hey, Superboy! Come meet Miss M!" Robin smiled, waving him over. Superboy walked over to the group.

"I like your shirt," Miss Martian smiled. Her white shirt turned black and her cape disappeared. Superman smiled at her and nodded.

"Cool trick," Sakura smiled, admiring her shirt. She patted Miss Martian's back and smiled. "The cape is really gone! It isn't a transformation jutsu!"

"Cool," Robin smiled. The group looked over at Aqualad who nodded.

"Today is the day."


	4. Chapter 4

Sakura hummed to herself as she brushed through her long pink hair.

"Kunoichi? Are you ready yet?" Miss Martian asked.

"Almost," Sakura answered. She wore a dark pink dress that ended at her knees. The dress had a tube top, and an empire waistline. The dress also had a white shirt like top underneath it. She grabbed a black jacket and put it on. She grabbed her leather boots and zipped them up to cover her knees. Sakura grabbed her ribbon and placed it in her hair, wrenching the door open and running down to the kitchen.

"Good morning," Miss Martian smiled.

"Morning," Sakura nodded, reaching into the fridge. She took an apple and shined it, before taking a knife and quickly cutting it up.

"You're…twelve…right?" Miss Martian asked nervously.

"Yeah, why?" Sakura asked, biting into an apple slice.

"Is it normal for twelve-year-old girls to wear leather boots like that?" Miss Martian asked.

"No, but they have a surprising amount of storage space," Sakura answered. She lifted her leg up and held her ankle, keeping perfect balance. "See my heel?" she asked.

"Yeah?" Miss Martian asked. The heel suddenly began twirling at a high speed rate. "Whoa…" She gasped.

"The heels become drills," Sakura smiled, as the heel stopped. She put her foot down, smiling. "It comes in handy more than you'd think."

"Cool, but, I thought you had powers," Miss Martian remembered.

"Uh…I have healing and super strength. But you can't exactly use super strength when you're spying," Sakura answered. "Kakashi sent my team to Batman for a few weeks to create utility belts and weapons that suited us and our specific jobs."

"Which is where you met Robin!" Miss Martian gasped.

"Yep, we were ten, he was eleven," Sakura nodded.

"So you guys go back a few years," Miss Martian smiled, sitting down.

"Oh yeah, believe it or not Birdie and I didn't even like each other at first. I was a stickler for the rules and he found that annoying," Sakura smiled.

"So what happened?" Miss Martian asked.

"That's a story for another time," Sakura smirked, finishing the last apple slice. "I gotta go."

"Where are you going?" Miss Martian asked.  
"Sorry, a ninja never reveals her secrets!" Sakura winked as she left.

"Wait! Do you want to make cookies with me?" Miss Martian asked. "I wanted to make them for the boys!"

"Nah," Sakura answered, shaking her head. "I really have to do something.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura sat on the living room couch staring at a small device on the coffee table.

"That's a…cell phone right?" Superboy asked.

"Yes," I'm debating something," Sakura answered. "And I may or may not need it depending on the answer."

"Well, have fun with that," Superboy muttered.

"Hey, has Birdie come yet?" Sakura asked.

"No," Superboy asked, walking away. Sakura sighed and turned back to her phone.

Entering Aqualad

The pinkette gasped and grabbed her phone rushing out of the living room. She rushed to the mission room, seeing the dark skinned Atlantean. "How'd it go? Did he say yes?" She asked, running up to him.

"Not well," Aqualad sighed. "Speedy wasn't interested."

"Aw man, that's too bad," Sakura sighed.

"I'm going to call Red Tornado as soon as he's in range, do you want to wait with me?" Aqualad asked.

"No…but…I have a question…" Sakura muttered quietly.

"What is it? You can tell me anything," Aqualad smiled.

"It's my teammate. Naruto…am I allowed to tell him about this?" Sakura asked. "I want to talk to him and tell him about our mission and finding Superboy and-!"

"You don't know if you can," Aqualad finished.

"Yeah, am I allowed to?" Sakura asked.

"I'm not sure. You could ask Red Tornado when he returns. But, I'd hold off on the call until then," the Atlantean instructed her.

"Alright, thank you," Sakura bowed. "And, I think I would like to join you," the pinkette smiled. "I want to hear the news right away! Besides, two eyes on the lookout are better than one!"

"Then let's go," Aqualad smiled, directing her towards the center of the room, where the super-computer was.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Entering Robin

Entering Kid Flash

Robin and Kid Flash entered to the zeta-tubes and ran over to the rest of the group.

"Did you ask yet?" Robin asked excitedly.

"What'd he say?" Kid Flash added.

"He's on his way now," Aqualad smiled.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kid Flash smiled, running off.

"Let's go!" Sakura cheered, jumping in her place. She grabbed Robin's wrist and pulled him along, a smile on her face. The three raced to the cave's entrance, watching it lower with anticipation. A small, red tornado came towards the mountain, growing larger and showing their den father.

"Red Tornado!" Kid Flash sighed.

"Good afternoon," Sakura bowed.

"Greetings," Red Tornado nodded. "Is there a reason to intercept me outside of the cave?"

"Ask," Sakura urged the Atlantean. Aqualad stepped forward, a hopeful smile on his face.

"We were wondering if you had a mission for us," the dark-skinned teen answered.

"So, do ya?" Sakura asked excitedly.

"I apologize, but no. Giving out missions is a job for the Batman," Red Tornado answered.

"But it's been over a week! We haven't done-!" Robin was cut off when Red Tornado held a hand up.

"You shall be tested soon enough," Red Tornado answered. "Spend the time you have with your teammates and learn how to interact with them."

"This isn't a social club," Aqualad said, glaring at the robot.

"No, but I have been told social interaction is a large part of building teamwork," Red Tornado answered. "Perhaps you could keep busy by familiarizing yourselves with the cave." The robot answered, walking past them and into said cave.

"Keep busy," Kid Flash muttered, punching Robin's shoulder.

"What a letdown," Sakura huffed, crossing her arms.

"Does he really think we're going to fall for this?" Robin growled, copying the pinkette's actions.

"Oh! Let me see," Miss Martian smiled, turning towards their supervisor. She narrowed her eyes for a moment before frowning. "I'm sorry, I can't read his mind," she apologized. "I forgot that he was inorganic."

"It was a nice shot," Kid Flash smiled, looking into her eyes. "So, can you tell what I'm thinking right now?"

"We all know what you're thinking," Robin scoffed, punching the redhead in the back.

"You're such a flirt," Sakura huffed, sticking out her tongue. Robin smirked and grabbed it, pulling it. "Hey!" The pinkette shouted with some difficulty. Robin chuckled and let go.

"Next time don't leave it hanging out," he teased.

"I guess now it's time to tour the clubhouse," Aqualad huffed, glaring at the grass.

"Well, Superboy, Kunoichi, and I live here. We could be your guides," Miss Martian smiled. The group looked at Superboy who immediately shook his head.

"Don't look at me."

"I won't, a private tour with two lovely young ladies sounds much better," Kid Flash smiled.

"They never said it was private," Robin growled lightly, punching his back once more.

"And I said you were never going to get this," Sakura smirked. "Besides, if I was going to give anyone a private tour, it would be Birdie! And we'd do it ninja style!"

"I actually like that idea," Robin smiled, hooking their arms together. "Lead me to the nearest dark shadow."

"Stop," Aqualad ordered as they were about to walk off. "We're going as a team."

"So, this would be the front door," Miss Martian smiled as they walked back inside. "The base is actually the whole mountain." The group walked inside the mission room, as Kid Flash began talking.

"It was hollowed out and reinforced by Superman and the Green Lantern back when the League was just beginning," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Beat cha Kunoichi."

"Please, I already have the entirety of the floor plans memorized," Sakura scoffed. "We need to prove that you have a brain in there somewhere."

"So, why did they move to the Hall?" Superboy asked.

"The cave's location was…compromised," Aqualad answered.

"So they traded it in for a tourist trap?" Superboy questioned in disbelief.

"If the villains are aware of this place, then we must be on constant alert," Miss Martian realized. Robin flashed a devilish smile and took her hand.

"The bad guys know that we know they know about the place," he explained, "They'd never think to look here." Kid Flash slid Robin's hand out of Miss Martian's and held it, smirking slightly at his best friend.

"He means that we're hiding in plain sight," he translated.

"You're no fun," Sakura pouted. "And let go of Birdie's hand." Robin and Kid Flash dropped their hands but smiled at each other.

"Ah, that's much clearer," Miss Martian nodded.

"I smell smoke," Superboy announced, sniffing the air.

"Weren't you…?" the pinkette trailed off, looking at her sole female teammate.

"My cookies!" Miss Martian gasped. She quickly jumped into the air, flying off.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Miss Martian levitated the cookie tray onto the kitchen island. Sakura frowned as she took in their coal like appearance. "Is it just me, or do they sound like they're crackling?" she whispered to Robin.

"It's not just you," the boy wonder whispered back.

"Oh no," Miss Martian pouted. "I was trying out Grammy Jones's recipe from episode 17 of-uh-never mind!" she said quickly.

"I'm sure they would have tasted great," Robin assured her.

"Yeah, he doesn't seem to mind," Sakura snickered, pointing to Kid Flash, who was crunching a burnt cookie in his mouth.

"I have a serious metabolism," the redhead shrugged.

"Translation, he'll eat anything," Sakura smirked.

"I'll…make more…?" Miss Martian replied, not knowing what to say.

"It was sweet of you to make any," the Atlantean told her.

"Thanks Aqualad," Miss Martian blushed, holding her hands.

"Please, we're off duty," he smiled. "My name is Kaldur'ahm. But my friends call me Kaldur."

"I'm Wally," the speedster smiled flirtatiously. "See, I already trust you with my secret Id, unlike sunglasses over here. Batman's forbidden him from telling anyone his real name." Robin placed his hands on his hips and glared at his friend through the shades.

"I'm Sakura," the pinkette smiled. "It means cherry blossom."

"How pretty, it suits you," Miss Martian smiled.

"Not really," Robin muttered. "Cherry blossoms are weak and fragile. Blossom here is anything but. However, like cherry blossoms, she gives great joy to people."

"There are a bunch of festivals to celebrate the blooming of the cherry blossoms," Sakura told them.

"Oh, that sounds so wonderful," Miss Martian smiled. "My name is M'gann M'orzz, but you can call me Megan Morse, it's an Earth name, cause ya know, we're on Earth!" Superboy straightened up and began to walk away, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He gripped his head and turned around, glaring at her. "Get out of my head!"

"Wh-What's wrong? I don't understand. Everyone on Mars communicates through telepathy," M'gann's voice rang through their minds and the males gripped their heads in pain.

"M'gann, stop!" Kaldur ordered. "That may be how things work on your home planet, but you're on Earth now. That's an extreme invasion of privacy."

"Besides, Cadmus's freaky little psychic genomes left a bad taste in his brain," the speedster smiled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-!"

"Just stay out!" Superboy growled at her. He stormed over to the nearby couch and sat down.

"Yeah, not to mention it hurt a little," Robin hissed, rubbing his forehead. Sakura smiled and placed a hand over his head. Her hand glowed green and a smile graced his face.

"Better?" she asked.

"Much," Robin nodded." Thanks." Sakura moved on to Wally, soothing his head as well.

"Wait, your heads are hurting, but Sakura's wasn't…do you have another power?" M'gann asked as Sakura moved to heal Kaldur's head, but he quietly declined.

"I'm used to people poking and prodding around in my mind. In fact, one girl in my village can put her soul in someone else's body and then push the original soul out, for a moment. Your little mind trick did feel a little funny, but I'm used to it," The pinkette explained.

"That's cool," M'gann smiled. The group fell into a silence that was slightly awkward and still a little sour from M'gann entering their minds. "Hello Megan!" The alien exclaimed, slapping her forehead. "I know what we can do!" She flew out of the room and the rest shrugged, following her. M'gann slowed to a stop and looked back at the entrance to the kitchen.

"Go get him," Robin smiled, waving her off. M'gann nodded and flew back there. The team watched for a few moments, before she came back with Superboy behind her.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

"My Martian bioship!" M'gann smiled as the doors opened to the hangar. There was a small red pod on the platform.

"Cute, doesn't really seem practical, but cute," Wally nodded.

"Not right now," M'gann giggled. "It's at rest. I'll wake it up." The bioship morphed into a more ship-like appearance. M'gann waved her arm and the ship spun so the back was facing them. Part of it fell down, creating a ramp. "Come on," M'gann smiled. Sakura's eyes widened and she ran over to the ship, touching the outside of it.

"It's so smooth, and it feels squishy. But it also feels like metal," Sakura observed.

"Yep, it's organic," M'gann nodded as they entered. A wall slid apart and the team watched as seats began to rise out of the ground and take form. "Well, strap in." Robin ran over to a seat and Sakura sat next to him.

"Whoa!" the boy wonder gasped as straps wrapped themselves around his torso.

"These things have quiet the grip," Sakura smiled.

"Red Tornado, please open the bay doors," M'gann smiled and two blue orbs appeared next to her seat. The ship flew out of the cave, flipping around and rising into the air.

"Incredible!" Robin gasped.

"This is so amazing," Sakura agreed, looking out the window.

"She sure is," Wally sighed, staring at M'gann dreamily. The Martian looked at him in confusion and the speedster blushed. "The ship, I mean, because all ships are a…she…" he trailed off, crossing his arms and sulking in his seat.

"He's fast with his feet," Robin snickered. "His mouth is another story."

"Dude!" Wally shouted, looking at him in disbelief. Sakura giggled at the joke and nodded.

"I agree, he never thinks things through," the pinkette laughed. "Can't tell you how many times I've caught him saying his day dreams out loud."

"Sakura!" Wally blushed. Robin and Sakura laughed even harder at his expense. The two quieted down and Sakura noticed that M'gann looked down.

"Don't worry, he'll come around," Robin whispered to the alien.

"He doesn't seem to like me much," M'gann sighed softly.

"If it makes you feel better, he attacked me as soon as we freed him from his pod," Sakura smiled up at her. M'gann stared at her in confusion before smiling and laughing slightly.

"You guys do remember that he has super-hearing, right?" Wally smirked, pointing to the clone.

"Hey, how about you show us some Martian shape shifting," Robin suggested, trying to divert the mood. The others turned to face her. M'gann stood up and her clothes slowly turned black and dark red. A cape fell behind her and her hair shortened and became black.

"Nice," Sakura laughed, admiring the female-Robin. The girlish Robin spun around, turning into a female Kid Flash.

"Is it wrong to think that I'm hot?" Wally smiled dopily.

"No, it proves just how much you're into yourself," Sakura snickered. M'gann turned back to normal and smiled shyly.

"Good job," Robin clapped. "But you know that you're not going to fool anyone with those disguises, right?"

"Mimicking boys is a lot harder," M'gann blushed. She twirled once more and turned into Sakura, wearing a light pink Qi-pao and dark green spandex shorts. Sakura's eyes widened and she glared, her hands turning into fists.

"Get out of that form, now!" She demanded harshly. M'gann took a step back, instantly turning back to normal.

"I'm sorry, I saw a picture in your room," M'gann apologized. Robin turned around and placed his hands over Sakura's.

"Come on, Blossom, it wasn't your fault," he assured her. "Try to calm down alright?" Sakura took a few deep breaths and her posture relaxed, so did her hands.

"I'm sorry, M'gann, I shouldn't have snapped," Sakura apologized. "I haven't worn that dress in a long time. Not since…my team split up…"

"I'm sorry," M'gann apologized, sitting down.

"Don't be," Sakura smiled. "I overreacted. I just don't like to think about that anymore. If you're going to turn into me, you could at least copy my uniform from now."

"I was going to, but your boots look painful," M'gann confessed sheepishly. Sakura giggled and lifted her boots.

"But they're cute, aren't they?" She smiled.

"Very," M'gann agreed.

"How did your clothes transform as well?" Aqualad asked.

"They're organic just like the ship," M'gann answered. "They just responded to my mental commands."

"As long as they're the only things," Superboy growled, facing forward.

"Hey, can you do that ghosting through walls thing like Manhunter can do?" Wally asked.

"Density shifting? No, sorry. It's an advance technique. I haven't learned it yet," M'gann apologized.

"Flash can vibrate his molecules through a wall," Robin snickered, and gestured to the young speedster. "He gets a bloody nose whenever he tries."

"Dude!" Wally shouted, glaring at him.

"Here's something I can do," M'gann smiled, pointing at the front window of the ship. The red wings began to disappear, and Sakura guessed the rest of the ship did as well.

"Camouflage mode," M'gann smiled.

"Red Tornado to Miss Martian," the robotic voice called out. "An emergency distress has been triggered at the Happy Harbor power plant. I suggest you investigate, covertly. I'm sending you the coordinates now."

"I've received them and am readjusting the course," M'gann informed him.

"Red Tornado's keeping us busy again," Robin scoffed.

"I joined the team to do missions, not feel like I'm being babysat," Sakura huffed, crossing her arms.

"Well, a simple fire led you to Superboy. We should see what caused the alert," M'gann suggested, as they floated in the air, looking around.

"I think I know the cause," Superboy announced. The group looked out the window and saw a large tornado heading straight for the cloaked ship. M'gann gasped and rose the bioship, but it was too late, the tornado sucked it in and began tossing it about.


	5. Chapter 5

"M'gann! Do something!" Sakura shouted as the ship was tossed about. M'gann closed her eyes and concentrated, harshly pulling the ship out of the tornado. She flew away from the vortex and landed the ship. The floor under them slid away, letting the team land. They looked over at the tornado, seeing it closer to the plant. Robin and Sakura shared a look and ran off, slipping into the shadows. Sakura and Robin entered the factory to see a man in a red suit with blue tubes going in and out of it. Robin jumped into the air and let out a laugh, aiming a kick for his head. The metal man sent a tornado his way, throwing him back. Sakura let out a battle cry and got close to the villain, trying to punch it. The suit clad villain slammed his hand against her stomach, and started a twister right there, throwing her back. Robin stood up shakily, only to get thrown back as Sakura slammed onto him.

"Who's your new friend?" Superboy asked, landing beside them.

"Didn't catch his name," Robin hissed as Sakura crawled off of him. "But he plays kinda rough!"

"My apologies, you may address me as Mister Twister," the villain introduced himself.

"Okay, what is with the rhyme?" Sakura hissed as she stood up. Superboy ran at Mister Twister. The villain blew harsh winds towards him, slowing the clone down. The winds gathered around Superboy, creating a twister and throwing him at the wall. Kid Flash slid on his goggles and raced towards the suit of armor. He flipped and flew at him, preparing to kick him. Mister Twister created a vortex of wind and threw him outside. Miss Martian and Aqualad flew at him but their opponent threw them back by creating small tornados. Sakura and Robin glared at the guy. They each had an arm hidden behind their back, holding onto a weapon.

"I was expecting to face a real superhero, not a bunch of children wanting to play," Mister Twister growled.

"We're not children!" The two ninjas shouted. Robin threw a flash bomb at him, followed by an exploding disk. Mister Twister flicked the disk out of his armor; once the device landed on the ground it exploded. Sakura threw a kunai at him, narrowing her eyes as it got closer.

"Release!" she ordered. The kunai exploded in front of the opponent's face, throwing him back to the wall.

"From my point of view, you are," Mister Twister growled, shoving himself off the wall. "Do you not have any adult supervision? I find your presence here quiet, disturbing!"

"Well!" Robin shouted, catching his attention. Superboy, Miss Martian, and Aqualad had joined them. "Let's see if we can make you turbed!"

"After we kick your metal ass!" Sakura growled. M'gann used her powers to break a valve above Mister Twister. Steam poured out of the valve, slamming into him. Superboy jumped into the air, his fists raised. Mister Twister blasted him backwards with strong winds. He slammed into M'gann, who was flying towards the villain. Electricity crackled around Kaldur's hands as he and Robin rushed forward. Twister created mini tornados around them and forced them to smack into each other. Sakura jumped into the air, her fist raised. "Take this!" she shouted. Mister Twister used a forceful wind to slam her into the wall behind them.

"That was quiet 'turbing', I must thank you," Twister growled, flying out of the entrance. The team groaned, holding their heads in pain. They wasted no time in walking out of the building, seeing a twister with Wally inside heading for the building. M'gann threw her hand out and grabbed Wally with her mind as the twister stop.

"I got ya," She told him, gently lowering him to the ground.

"Thanks," Wally nodded.

"I would have thought you would have learned of your limitations by now," Mister Twister growled.

"I have NO limitations!" Sakura shouted, rushing at him with her fists raised.

"Blossom, no!" Robin shouted, watching her go. Mister Twister slapped her aside using a wall of air. Sakura growled and flipped midair, landing in a crouched position.

"Is that the best you got, Tin Man?" Sakura growled running back towards him. She jumped in the air and produced a kunai out of nowhere. She threw it at him but he threw it back using the winds. Sakura gasped as the weapon embedded itself in her arm. A strong gust of wind blew at her but Sakura put her arms up as a shield. "I will not yield," she growled under her breath.

"Impressive that you can stand up for this long but it's useless in the end," Mister Twister warned her. The force of the winds increased, knocking Sakura off her feet.

"I got ya," Wally smiled, catching her before she hit the ground. He ran back over to the group and set her down.

"What do you want?" Aqualad shouted at their opponent in anger.

"Isn't it obvious?" Mister Twister asked mockingly. He flew into the air and stretched his arms out. "What I want is a real hero."

"Read his mind, find a weakness," Kaldur ordered.

"I thought I wasn't allowed to do that," Miss Martian answered nervously.

"He's the bad guy! It's okay!" Robin yelled.

"A-Alright," she nodded, turning to the metal man. "Nothing, I'm not getting anything! Hello Megan!" she gasped, hitting her head. "Mister Twister is Red Tornado in disguise! He's an android, inorganic! How many androids have you heard of that can create tornados?"

"Red Tornado sent us here," Kaldur realized.

"After saying that we'd be tested 'soon enough'! This is just something else to keep us busy!" Robin growled.

"Speedy totally called it. This team is a joke," Kid Flash huffed.

"How do you know?" Sakura asked.

"What do you mean?" M'gann asked.

"In my village there are several ways from blocking a telepath from reading your mind," Sakura answered, taking the kunai out of her skin. The others cringed slightly when blood flowed out of the wound, travelling down her arm. The pinkette covered the wound, her hands glowing a soft green. "And, I know it's improbable, but there's still a chance that there's another wind manipulating robot out there. Even if the evidence does match up, there is always a small chance of being wrong."

"But still, it's the only thing that makes sense right now," Superboy told her. Kaldur growled and punched his fist, storming towards the flying figure.

"I'm done playing this game," Kid Flash muttered, as he followed Robin and Aqualad.

"We know who you are and what you want!" Robin shouted.

"It's time to end this," Aqualad told him.

"Well then, let's not waste anymore time," Mister Twister growled. He lifted his arms to the sky and two twisters came out of the palms of his metal hands, rising towards the sky. The clouds swirled together, becoming darker. A funnel came out of the sky, heading towards the ground. The winds picked up, trying to knock the teens down.

"We won't give you the satisfaction! We won't engage you!" Aqualad declared.

"Uh, do you know if Red Tornado can do that or not?" Wally yelled at them.

"Not that I'm aware of," Robin answered.

"You think I'm the Red Tornado?" Mister Twister scoffed. "Ironic!" Lightning flew to the ground, pushing the three teens back, and knocking them out. Superboy stepped forward and ripped his jacket off. He jumped into the sky. Two lightning bolts came down, striking his sides and pushing him back to the earth. Mister Twister lowered himself, lightning sparking around his hands. M'gann groaned and sat up, holding her head. Sakura held her head and looked up into the sky, quickly noticing that a large shadow was above them.

"Have it your way," Mister Twister growled. Wally began to groan lightly as he stirred, causing M'gann to slap a hand over his mouth, looking at the villain carefully. "I will not deny that you don't have power. But, I will not gain anything by playing some game of hide and seek. Stay concealed if you wish. But if you come after me, I will show no mercy!" With that Mister Twister turned around and flew away from them.

"What happened?" Wally asked as M'gann removed her hand. The rest of the boys stirred, sitting up.

"I moved the bioship above us while it's still in camouflage mode," M'gann explained, the camouflage fell, exposing the red ship. Super boy growled and punch a boulder in front of him.

"And that makes it okay?" He asked, jumping up and storming over to the Martian. "You tricked us into think that guy was Red Tornado!"

"She didn't do it on purpose," Kaldur defended.

"You are pretty inexperienced," Wally added nervously.

"It was a rookie mistake. We should have listened to Blossom," Robin agreed.

"Gee, I've known you longer and you trust the older prettier and more exotic girl. Way to make a friend feel awesome," Sakura muttered, glaring at the ground. "I tell you don't open the pod, the Superboy will attack us, you open it anyway, and he attacks. I say, hey, that might not be Red Tornado, and again, you ignore me."

"Sorry," Robin apologized, kneeling next to her. "We should listen to you more often.

"Yeah you should," the pinkette muttered, crossing her arms.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked, seeing the wound on her arm.

"Fine," the pinkette hissed, holding her arm. "He just disrupted my healing with that lightning." She revealed her arm, showing red skin that looked raw. It was still open in the center, allowing blood to continue leaving her system. "Give me a few moments and I can have it fixed."

"Alright," the Boy Wonder nodded. Sakura covered the wound with her hand and a soft hum came from the limb as it glowed once more. After a few seconds she removed her hand, showing that it was as good as new.

"Well, we can take it from here," Wally told M'gann. "Hit the showers."

"Stay out of our way," Superboy demanded, storming past them. He jumped up, flying through the air. Wally readjusted his goggles and chased after the clone.

"Come on," Robin told the pinkette running after the two others. Sakura stood up and turned to M'gann.

"I know you were just trying to help, but next time, don't assume," she said harshly. The pinkette turned around and followed Robin quickly. As they entered the forest the two of them nodded at each other, jumping into the tree tops.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

"I hope this will get the attention I need," Mister Twister growled, directing a few tornados to destroy a building.

"Well you have ours!" Wally shouted, running towards him. "Complete and undivided!" He jumped off the ground and kicked back Twister. The speedster landed on the ground, glaring at the opponent.

"You are nothing but a distraction! One that I can no longer put up with!" Twister growled. Superboy dropped from the ground with a battle cry. Twister quickly jumped out of the way to avoid that super strength punch. Sakura ran up behind him and kicked him, drilling through his back a little. Twister growled and leapt forward, avoiding her. Sakura winked and lifted her leg.

"Cute, stylish, and they turn into amazing drills! Don't you just love heels?" She giggled. Twister glared at her and created a tornado around her, Kid Flash, and Superboy. Sakura growled and stood her ground. She reached out a hand, and roughly grabbed Wally, trying to keep them rooted to the ground. "Superboy! Grab my hand!" She shouted, holding it out. Superboy grunt as he tried to take it when he passed her. Sakura felt a tug on her limb and gasped as she lost her balance. The three of them were tossed out of the twister, landing on the ground in a heap. Sakura growled and attempted to stand up but fell to the ground. She looked at her feet and saw that the heel had broken off her right shoe, exposing the mechanics. "Hey! It took forever to design these boots!" She shouted in anger. She growled and quickly ran out of the way, sliding behind a speedboat. She tugged on the zipper of her boots, sliding them off. Superboy and a speedboat both flew over the car. Sakura watched them land on a house, destroying it. Robin jumped next to her, spying the boots.

"Tough break," he told her.

"Agreed," Sakura nodded, peeking out from behind the upright speedboat. Kid Flash sped over to them, sliding to a stop at their hideout.

"Blossom," Robin called, reaching inside his pocket. He took out his yellow belt and swung it around his shoulder, clipping it into place.

"You brought your utility belt?" Wally asked in disbelief. Sakura slid her dark pink belt out of her jacket pocket as well. "Both of you? God, are you two linked in the mind or something."

"No, we just never leave home without them," Robin answered. "First rule Batman taught me!"

"And he told me and my team that it would be wise to have it on hand at all times. Mind if I see your goggles for a sec?" Sakura asked the red head. She pulled them off, ignoring his complaints. She placed them in a compartment and pressed a button. She took the goggles out and handed them to him, taking out another, identical pair. "There's a duplication chamber for my weapons!" She placed the goggles over her eyes. "Now I can see as well."

"Listen to me, everyone!" M'gann's voice resounded in their heads. Robin and Wally clutched their heads in pain and Sakura's hands flew up, soothing their aches.

"What did we tell you?" Superboy growled at the sky.

"I know! I messed up! But now I know what we have to do to win. You need to trust me!" M'gann begged.

"What do we need to do?" Sakura asked.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

The group ran towards Red Tornado as he landed.

"Hit the showers, I shall take care of this, alone," Red Tornado told them.

"But, we have a plan now," Robin protested.

"Yeah, this is our fight," Sakura agreed.

"This subject is non-debatable," Red Tornado told them. The group sagged their shoulders and walked off sadly. Sakura and Superboy quickly ducked behind a car, peering over it.

"You ready?" Sakura asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Superboy nodded.

"I was beginning to think you'd never show up!" Twister shouted.

"I am here now," Red Tornado responded. He pushed his hand back, forming a tornado. Twister slid back and created a tornado, which slammed into the other one. The two cyclones combined and Red Tornado pulled it back behind him. "We are evenly matched, Twister!" He created another twister, using the wind to throw rocks at Twister.

"No we are NOT!" Twister shouted. He slammed his hands onto the ground. He forced wind into it, creating a wall of wind to block the small boulders. Twister shot lightning at the den-father, which Red Tornado dodged. He flew through the air, avoiding the lightning, but the electric current hit a boat, causing it to explode. Tornado flew back, slamming into the ground.

"That has to hurt," Sakura hissed.

"Focus," Superboy told her. Sakura glared at him before turning back to the two tornado creating fighters.

"Remain still android," Twister growled. At the last word his voice became deeper and slightly warped.

"Whoa…creepy…" Sakura muttered.

"The reprogramming will only take a moment," Twister muttered as chords came out of his fingers and attached themselves to Red Tornado. Red Tornado grabbed the wires and turned to face Twister, his head morphing into M'gann's.

"It's gonna take longer than you think," She smirked. She held up her hand, pushing him away. A tornado flew by, throwing Twister towards an empty space. The twister slowed, revealing the red headed speedster. Superboy and Sakura jumped out of their hiding spots and punched the opponent. Sakura gripped the metal torso as Superboy began punching it. Superboy grabbed an arm and allowed Sakura to jump beside him, kicking Twister in the torso. Superboy quickly let go of the villain, sending him towards the water. Mister Twister flew out a moment later, and M'gann, now looking like himself, lifted him in the air and used her powers to blast off his arms. Robin jumped out of his hiding spot and threw two exploding disks at him. Mister Twister fell to the ground and the group approached him, staring him down. Twister somehow pushed himself up.

"Not so powerful without your arms, are you?" Sakura smirked. She took out her boot and started the drill, throwing it at him. The hidden weapon collided with his head, exploding it. The chest opened up and a small, scrawny man fell out, looking up at them in terror.

"Foul, I call foul," he told them weakly.

"Dude, this isn't a game," Sakura told him. M'gann lifted a boulder over to them and positioned it above the man.

"M'gann no!" Aqualad shouted as she dropped it, crushing him. Sakura's ears perked up and she stared at the boulder in confusion.

"Look, I don't know how things are done on Mars," Robin growled harshly, stomping towards M'gann. "But here on Earth, we don't kill our captives!"

"Did anyone else hear a machine shorting out when M'gann crushed him?" Sakura asked, tilting her head while staring at the boulder.

"Huh?" Robin looked at her in confusion. "What are you talking about Blossom?"

"You said you'd trust me," M'gann smirked, lifting the boulder. Where the crushed body of a man should have been, there was a crushed robots\, with circuits and machinery.

"I knew it!" Sakura smiled.

"That's why I couldn't read his mind!" M'gann declared. "It was a machine, controlling the armor!"

"Cool, souvenir," Wally smiled, picking up a glass eyeball.

"We're sorry, we should have trusted you more," Aqualad apologized.

"Yeah, you totally rocked this mission," Wally laughed. "Get it?"

"Ignore him," Robin sighed, shaking his head.

"Yeah, that's what I do," Sakura winked.

"Hey!" the red head shouted, his cheeks turning pink. Sakura laughed at him and stuck his tongue out.

"We're all turbed that you're on the team," Robin said with a smile.

"Thanks, me too," M'gann smiled.

"Alright, we're dressed in our civvies, we just defeated a bad guy, and we completed our first nonofficial team mission! Let's go out for ice cream to celebrate!" Sakura cheered.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure no ice cream place is going to let you inside barefoot," Robin snickered, pointing at her bare feet. Sakura looked at them and pouted, realizing he was right. "Besides, we need to get this thing back to the mountain and run an analysis."

"Well, let's get started," Wally sighed, pocketing his fake eye.

\---------------------------------------------------------

"It was clearly created to damage or worse, destroy you," Kaldur told Red Tornado.

"Agreed," the android nodded.

"Is that why you wouldn't help us?" M'gann asked.

"No, this was your fight," Red Tornado answered. "It is not my responsibility to solve my problems for you. And you should not solve mine for me."

"But, what if you're in danger?" M'gann asked.

"Consider this matter, closed," the android told them.

"Thank you," Sakura smiled. Red Tornado stopped and turned to look at the pinkette. "For not stepping in and treating us like children who had gotten in over their heads."

"Your mess is your mess. You created it, you must fix it," Red Tornado told them.

"Aquaman, Flash, or Batman, they would have jumped right in to handle things and save the day," Wally muttered.

"Yeah, if we're going to have a babysitter, one that's heartless is the perfect fit," Robin muttered, crossing his arms.

"Dude, that was harsh," Wally told him.

"And so not needed," Sakura agreed.

"As well as inaccurate," Red Tornado announced. "I do have a heart; carbon steel alloy. I also have excellent hearing."

"Right, sorry," Robin muttered. "I'll strive to be more accurate."

"And more respectful," Kaldur added.

"Speedy was so wrong," Wally smiled as he, Robin and Aqualad left. "This team thing might work out."

"Hey Blossom!" Robin called. The pinkette turned to face him, tilting her head in confusion. "Do you want me to tell Batman you ruined your boots, or should I?"

"I'll tell him," Sakura sighed, slumping her shoulders and following after him. "At least that way I don't seem like a coward. And who knows, maybe he'll tell me how to create or fix them this time. Cause he left that part out when he gave them to me."

"Whoa, Batman gave you those boots?" Wally asked in astonishment.

"Yeah, he created them for her," Robin nodded. "It was when Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke were sent to Gotham by Kakashi to learn some different styles and so Batman could create utility belts and weapons for them."

"Ninjas only have two pouches at most; one on the hip, and the other on the leg. Neither pouch stores very much," Sakura told them. "Kakashi had heard about Batman and Robin, called them up and sent us to Gotham."

"We were spending the day in our civvies and I noticed how Sakura was looking at boots with heels, and I told Batman, and he came up with the idea of drills hidden in the heels," Robin finished.

"That is amazing," Kaldur smiled. "To come up with such an idea only after hearing of high heeled boots."

"Yeah, it was pretty cool," Sakura nodded. "Of course, I didn't know how to walk in heels so I had to take a crash course in how to use them." Her cheeks turned pink with the confession.

"That is so cool," Wally smiled. "But I still can't wrap my head around Batman, the Batman, designing shoes. Even if they are weapons."

"Yeah, think about how weird it was to see him design them," Robin chuckled.


	6. Chapter 6

"Santa Prisca," Batman announced. "This island is the base of an experimental and illegal neurosteroid. It's a strength enhancing drug that is being sold under the name venom. Infrared scans of the factory have shown that it is still going, but all shipments of the Venom have stopped. That's where this team comes in." The masked hero turned to the teens, narrowing his eyes at them. "This is a recon mission only. You are to observe and report back. If the Justice League feels like they need to intervene, they will. The plan requires two drop zones."

"So, who's in charge?" Robin asked. Batman and Red Tornado looked at each other before turning back to them.

"Work that out between you," Batman ordered.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Drop Zone A in 30 seconds," M'gann announced. The group was inside the bioship, flying through the night sky. Aqualad stood up, his seat sinking into the floor. He pressed his belt buckle and his outfit turned black, perfect for the night time.

"I'm ready," the Atlantean nodded.

"Putting the bioship in camouflage mode," M'gann nodded. She lowered the ship closer to the water and a hole appeared in front of Aqualad. He jumped through it, landing in the ocean below. M'gann slowed the ship down, waiting for Aqualad.

"Alright, the heat and motion sensors have been patched and are running a continuous loop," Aqualad announced.

"Confirmed," M'gann nodded and flew the bioship towards the next drop zone. "We're now at Drop Zone B." The team stood up, their seats disappearing. Latches came down and Robin and Wally hooked them onto their belts; Sakura held up her hand, quietly declining. Kid Flash smiled and pressed the insignia on his chest, turning his suit black as well.

"How cool is this?" He smiled.

"Please, at least I actually changed my outfit," Sakura huffed, crossing her arms. She wore a sleeveless black half shirt that had a turtleneck which extended into a mask that covered up to her nose. She had a scarf wrapped around her neck and over her head, acting like a hood and covering her pink hair. On her arms were fingerless gloves that covered her elbows and had dark pink buckles on them. She wore baggy ninja pants that were black as well. She had on black high heeled combat boots with dark pink buckles to complete the look. Her dark pink belt was still around her waist.

"You look more like a ninja now," Wally snickered. Sakura glared at him and raised her leg, pointing the heel of her boot at him.

"New design still has the drill," she warned him.

"Very impressive," M'gann smiled. Her clothes morphed into a black leotard, and her cloak gained a hood.

"Uh, those ways work too," Wally nodded, stepping away from Sakura, who still had her foot raised.

"Calm down, Blossom," Robin chuckled. The pinkette lowered her leg and nodded at him.

"Not too late to use the new stealth tech, Suppie," Wally smiled.

"No capes. No tights. No offense," Superboy muttered, crossing his arms.

"It totally works for you," M'gann smiled dreamily. "In that you can totally do good work in those clothes." She added quickly, giving him a nervous thumbs up.

"Nice save," Sakura muttered, leaning close to her. M'gann's cheeks turned pink and she glared lightly at her. The alien pulled up her hood and turned invisible. A hole appeared in the floor and she jumped down, hiding herself. Robin and Wally jumped down, unhooking the cable Sakura jumped down the hole and landed on the ground in a crouch, barely making a sound. The team looked up and saw Superboy jump down without the line. They all jumped out of the way quickly as he landed, creating a large crater.

"New I didn't need a line," he smirked, standing up.

"Yeah, it's not like creating an earthquake could have alerted anyone to the fact that we're here," Robin muttered sarcastically. Sakura jumped down from a tree and crossed her arm, glaring at the clone.

"Covert means stealth and quiet. Jumping from the air and creating a crater, as well as a loud noise does not help the mission! Especially when you have super strength to amplify your landing!" The pinkette scolded quietly.

"You have super strength too," Superboy pointed out.

"That may be true, but I can control it," Sakura informed him. "Did you see a crater or hear anything when I landed?"

"Aqualad!" M'gann called quietly, bringing the argument to a close. "Drop Zone B is a go." Robin pulled up his holoscreen and pulled up a map of the island, with two red dots, one for them, and one for Aqualad.

"Roger that. Head for the factory, I'll track you using GPS and meet up with you there," he told them through the com links.

"Roger that," Robin nodded, dropping his arm.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Robin and Sakura were ahead of the group and Robin pulled up his glove.

"Seems like there's a path through this way," Robin told her, pointing at the red path on his glove, he dropped his arm and walked forward, stopping when Sakura held her arm out. "Kunoichi?" he asked quietly. Sakura closed her eyes, concentrating on her ears. Her eyes snapped open and she jumped into the tree tops, blending in with the shadows, despite the pink in her outfit. Robin followed her lead and jumped in the trees, and they both traveled forward a few feet.

"There are two groups, one coming from the west, and the other from the east," Sakura said quietly. "One group has heavy footsteps, the other seems to glide, almost like there aren't any footsteps at all."

"They must be light on their feet," Robin realized. "Are they coming for us?"

"I don't think so," Sakura answered. "They seem to be going on a straight path, towards each other." Bullets began ringing out and Sakura hissed, covering her ears.

"Amplify your hearing using chakra?" Robin snickered quietly.

"Shut up Robin," the pinkette muttered, glaring into the darkness.

"Oh, looks like your snappy side has come out to play," Robin smirked. "This should be fun."

"Yes," Sakura nodded. "It will be." The two blinked and looked down to see Kid Flash sliding on the mud down to the two groups shooting at each other.

"This isn't good," Robin muttered, jumping towards the next tree top. Sakura followed after him and they stopped in the tree tops above the fight. The man with the black and white face began shooting at Wally, who ran away quickly. "We have to help him," Robin told her.

"No, I like seeing the idiot getting shot at," Sakura deadpanned.

"Blossom, snap out of it, you're letting Inner take control again," Robin hissed, gripping her shoulder. Sakura blinked, and looked at him before looking back at the fight, watching Superboy punch one of the gunmen. He was flipped onto the ground, but the clone grabbed the man's shirt and slammed him into a tree.

"Those two, they're shooting at Kid," Sakura declared, pointing at two gunmen. Robin nodded and they both dropped from the foliage, punching the two men.

"What is wrong with you guys?" Robin asked, kicking one of them away. "What happened to the 'covert'? Why didn't you vanish into the jungle like we did?"

"Birdie, they aren't ninja like us, remember?" Sakura grunted, punching her guy in the face.

"Seriously! Way to inform the team!" Wally shouted; kick flipping a guy's face. "We're not mind readers!" He turned around when he heard someone approach him from behind. M'gann used her powers to push the guy back, slamming him into a tree. "Or, I'm not anyway."

"You said I could only read the bad guy's minds," M'gann told them.

"I have to agree," Sakura nodded, pulling her hood down. "They weren't trained like we were. I'm honestly surprised that we managed to stay concealed for this long." Robin turned around spotting a man cloaked in red trying to run away. Aqualad jumped from the trees and touched his chest, electrocuting him.

"I agree with Kunoichi," the Atlantean stated. Sakura grabbed two of the cloaked guys and pushed them against a tree. She reached inside her utility belt and took out some rope. Robin smirked and followed her lead, tying the two groups up. The Young Justice stood back, looking at the groups.

"I recognize those uniforms," Robin whispered, pointing to the red cloaks. "They belong to the Cult of the Cobra." Sakura groaned and hung her head back.

"What's wrong?" M'gann asked.

"Snakes, it always has to be snakes, doesn't it," the pinkette groaned.

"I'm sure Batman would have told us if he knew about some dangerous extreme group controlling the venom operation on Santa Prisca," Aqualad told them.

"I agree," Robin said with a nod.

"Which is why he didn't tell us," Sakura commented. "He didn't know."

"And, since the cobras and those goons were shooting at each other with every intent to kill, Cobra came in to toss them out. Which is what led to supplies being cut off," Robin suggested.

"We get it, extreme cultists were wanted by Cobra," Wally sighed. "Radio Bats, tell him and we can be home in time for-"

"These cultists aren't on venom," Sakura told him. "If they were, it wouldn't have been that easy to defeat them. Besides, I already ran a scan on their bodily functions and nothing. Everything is normal; there are no spikes and no signs of drugs."

"Which must mean that cobra is hording the stuff," Robin realized. "We don't leave. Not until I know why."

"Until you know why?" Wally hissed.

"What? This team needs a leader," Robin defended.

"Dude, your 13. Not to mention you left us behind without even telling us what you were doing."

"And you're a mature 15?" Robin laughed. "You ruined the whole 'covert' thing the first chance you got!"

"Dude, I was looking for you and Kunoichi! How was I supposed to know I would slip?" Wally shouted.

"Maybe you could have looked at the ground and saw that there was mud," Sakura said bluntly.

"Hey, I've ran on mud before and never slipped, thank you very much," Wally hissed.

"Then what was so different about this time?" Robin smirked.

"I don't have to explain myself to you!" Wally told him. "What makes you think you're going to be leader anyway?"

"I'm the most experienced," Robin answered.

"You don't even have superpowers," Wally protested.

"Batman and Kunoichi don't have powers either!" Robin responded.

"News flash you're not Batman!" Wally shouted.

"I'm the closest thing we've got!" Robin shouted back.

"And, Kunoichi uses that weird chakra whatever in her body to enhance her abilities, that's basically a superpower," Wally told him. Sakura crossed her arms and felt her eyebrow twitch in irritation. Her teammates were beginning to get on her nerves. She was about to make them stop talking when a laugh, caught everyone's attention.

"Such clever niños. But you don't even know half the story," the guy with the black and white face laughed. "Let me show you the rest. I can get you into the factory through a secret entrance."

"What does 'niños' mean exactly?" Wally asked. "I took French, not Spanish."

"It means children," Sakura answered.

"Well, there is a secret entrance, but he's hiding something," M'gann told them, crouching down. Her eyes glowed white and she stared at him, concentrating on his mind.

"Uh uh uh chica, Bane is not the easy type," the guy smirked. M'gann sighed and turned back to them.

"He's reciting soccer scores in Spanish," she told them. "This'll take a while."

"It's not complicated," Bane smirked. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"The common enemy tactic, huh? I have seen that go wrong in so many situations," Sakura sighed.

"Think we should take the chance and trust him?" Robin questioned.

"I don't know, let me think," Sakura sighed, closing her eyes. A moment later she opened them and glanced at Aqualad, who nodded in agreement. "Let him free. We don't have much of a choice," the pinkette sighed, pulling her hood back up.


	7. Chapter 7

Bane led them to a cliff and pointed at a building. "There's the factory, in all its glory." Robin took out a pair of binoculars and zoomed in out it.

"Look at all that product," he whispered.

"That much Venom has gotta be worth a lot of money," Sakura whistled, looking at the crates through her glasses.

"There's a buy going down, but I don't think it's going to any of the usual suspects, "Robin told them.

"We need to identify that buyer," Kaldur declared.

"That's just what I was thinking," Kid Flash nodded.

"Yeah, you're the thinker," Robin scoffed. Sakura covered her mouth and attempted to hide her laugh.

"Sarcasm? Dude, a real leader would focus on getting answers," Wally told him.

"Yeah, but maybe Birdie's so good he can do both," Sakura smiled.

"If you want answers," Bane called, directing their attention. The group watched him pick up a large boulder, and move it, showing an underground tunnel. "Then they are right this way."

"So, now, El Luchador is our leader?" Wally sighed. Robin punched him lightly as he passed.

"Come on, don't be sore," Sakura smiled "think of all the paperwork that comes with the job," she whispered to the red head. "And if a mission goes wrong, who do you think has to explain why? And, I have another question," Sakura wrapped her arms around Wally's and pulled him down, "Who, exactly, do we respond to for missions?"

"You know what, I'm cool with not being leader," Wally told her, straightening up.

"Thought so," Sakura smirked, letting go of his arm. The group came across a steel door and Bane pressed button to open it, revealing a small spare room. Robin snuck to the door and quietly opened it, peering out.

"Coast is clear," he announced in a whisper.

"Let's go," Sakura nodded, pushing him outside. The two disappeared before the rest of the group came out.

"Have those fools already been caught?" Bane hissed, hiding next to a large container.

"No," Aqualad sighed. "They just do that. Normally there's a cackle to accompany their disappearance."

"Kunoichi's a ninja. She and Robin understand stealth," Wally shrugged, placing his eyes above his eyes. "Let me get the info and I'll be back before the Boy Wonder and his ninja girlfriend."

"Wait Kid," Aqualad protested, but his quiet call fell on deaf ears as the speedster was already running off.

"Great chain of command," Bane growled at them. The three remaining team members sighed quietly, all displaying various amounts of annoyance. Above them Robin and Sakura quietly ran on the iron, heading towards the control room. Inside there was a cloaked goon working on a computer. Robin held up a bat device, while Sakura held up a syringe.

"Mine leaves less of a trace, in the body and in the surrounding areas," the pinkette smirked, standing up and opening the door. She glided across the room and quickly placed the needle inside the goon's neck. She pushed on the syringe and pulled it out as the guy quickly fell to the floor. He stared up at her weakly, causing the pinkette to smirk under her mask. "Sweet dreams," she whispered as the man fell asleep. Robin slid into the chair that the drugged man was previously sitting on. He began typing away quickly while Sakura sat down, staring at the guy. She pulled out another syringe, about to inject the potion inside him when Robin grabbed her armed, giving her a hard glare beneath his domino mask.

"You've already done enough to him Cherry," he hissed. "Put the syringe away," the Boy Wonder ordered lowly.

"You're lucky a part of me can't say no to you," Sakura huffed, putting the needle away. She looked up at the ceiling, her eyes narrowing "A helicopter is coming. There must be a shipment going out tonight."

"So," Wally smiled, speeding into the room, he bit on his protein bar and smiled. "Whatcha got?" The red head asked casually, as if they weren't in the middle of a mission.

"A bipolar pink haired ninja in crazy mode," Robin answered.

"You're letting her take control?" Wally asked in shock.

"Not anymore," Sakura smiled beneath her mask. "Birdie, what do you got with the drug?"

"Okay, let's see," he muttered. "I've got chemical formulas. I'm guessing it involves venom…but I can't tell." Wally sped up as Robin pulled up to chemical sculptures.

"This one's Venom and this one is…whoa…" he trailed off, pointing to the one on the right.

"What is it?" Sakura asked, staring at the computer.

"It's the Blockbuster formula from Cadmus," Wally answered.

"You mean the thing that crazy professor drank?" Sakura asked.

"The same one that you went all Genre Savvy on? Yeah," Wally nodded. He looked back at the computer, which was slowly combining the two chemicals. "When mixed with venom, in the correct way, it's three-times stronger. And permanent."

"But how did they get the formula for Blockbuster?" Sakura asked.

"Our mystery buyer must also be Cobra's supplier," Robin realized. "He's using the cult to create an army that's on a Blockbuster-Venom super-drug!" He stood up, placing a finger on the comm. link in his ear. "Robin to Aqualad, we've got…nothing but static, he huffed, dropping his hand.

"Great, we got the info we need, but no way to relay it," Sakura sighed, leaning against the computer. They heard a shout and the three of them looked out the window, seeing a fight going on.

"Come on, we gotta help," Robin told them, running out of the room with Wally. Sakura was about to follow him but saw Bane out of the corner of her eye. She watched him smirk and run away from the fight.

"Where are you going, macho?" she whispered, pulling up her hood. She raced out of the room and jumped down to the ground floor, following Bane.

"Is everyone online?" Miss Martian's voice rang through the pinkette's head.

"Yeah," came Superboy's less than enthusiastic reply.

"You know it babe," Kid Flash flirted.

"Good we need to regroup and strategize, now!" Aqualad ordered.

"Busy now," Robin huffed.

"As am I," Sakura replied in her mind. There was a voice underneath her own, it was slightly deeper and sounded a bit older. The pinkette turned another corner, keeping to the shadows as she followed the criminal.

"Did I just hear two voices coming from you?" Superboy asked in slight shock.

"No," Sakura, Robin, and Wally quickly replied, but the second voice was still there.

"Robin! Kunoichi! NOW!"Aqualad ordered. "We need to take a strategic retreat. Kid, clear a path!" Sakura 'tsk'ed under her breath and slid to a stop.

"NO!" the deeper female voice shouted. Sakura gasped quietly and held her head. "You are not allowed to stop until I say so! You will listen to me!"

"Kunoichi!" She heard Robin's worried shout in her mind as she slid to the ground, gripping her head in pain.

"Where are you?" Wally asked quickly.

"I don't know …" Sakura gasped out in her own voice. Her breathing grew heavier and she started panting, trying to ignore the pull on her limbs as they were being forced to move.

"Obey me!" the deeper female voice shouted. "Move! Follow Bane! NOW"

"Well well well, what do we have here? A lost little flor?" Bane chuckled, walking up to her.

"Stay back…please…" Sakura whispered, feeling a tear of pain slide down her cheek.

"Kunoichi! Hold her off!" Robin shouted inside her head.

"…I can't…" she whispered as Bane raised his fist. Before the pinkette could pull herself together and move, he struck her.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

"Sakura!" Robin shouted through the telepathic link.

"I've lost her," M'gann whispered, her eyes widening in shock. Aqualad looked around and took out a small stick, cracking it to give off a red light.

"I knew I heard another voice," Superboy whispered. "What, or who was that?"

"In a small village in Japan, there was a girl named Cherī," Robin said softly. "Cherī was strong, stronger than anyone else in the village, but her mind was weak, and she broke down often, having fits of rage and becoming crazy. Shortly after Hana, Cherī's younger sister, was born, Cherī fell ill and died. Hana's parents tried to fuse Cherī's soul with hers, hoping that she would have her sister's strength and grow up to be a great shinobi, just like Cherī. They also hoped that they could bring their eldest daughter back somehow. They succeeded. And with it, they renamed Hana into Sakura." He trailed off, looking at the ground in disappointment.

"That's terrible," M'gann gasped softly. "How could they do that to such a young child?"

"Then why did we hear two voices?" Aqualad asked.

"Sakura's fine, but Cherī is there, inside her head. And she's still prone to fits, especially when Sakura does something Cherī doesn't want. She'll try to take control of their shared body, leaving Sakura vulnerable and on the verge of a breakdown," Wally explained. "Sakura must have seen Bane or something and followed him, and then you gave the order to withdraw."

"And Cherī didn't like," Aqualad summarized.

"How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?" Robin muttered, leaning against the tunnel wall and sliding down to the ground. "We're stuck in this tunnel and who knows where Sakura is. I have the most experience, I've dealt with every single scenario imaginable, this shouldn't have happened."

"I agree, you do have the most experience," Kaldur nodded, kneeling next to him. He placed a comforting hand on the younger boy's shoulder, looking at him softly. "But maybe that is what left you unprepared. While fighting alongside Batman, your roles and positions are defined, you two are in synch and do not need to talk at all. Even with Sakura you two understand each other enough to predict the other's movements and fight alongside each other without any words. This team is new. It needs a leader that is direct. One who does not vanish and expect others to fall into unknown roles and follow a plan that has not been said."

"So what? I'm just supposed to hold everyone's hands?" Robin shouted, standing up and looking down at the Atlantean in anger. The emotion only lasted for a moment before Robin sighed and leaned back against the wall, rubbing his face. "Who am I kidding? You're right. And you should be the one to lead us, Kaldur. You're the only one that can. Besides, we already listen to you and we've been following your plans even when the four of us where in Cadmus and found Superboy. You're the one. And we all know it." Robin smiled softly and Kaldur stood up, smiling back.

"Hello Megan! It's so obvious!" M'gann smiled.

"Could have told ya," Superboy nodded, crossing his arms.

"We should have realized this sooner," Wally agreed.

"Then I will accept the position," Kaldur nodded, placing his hands on Robin's shoulders. "I will lead this team until you are ready. I truly believe you are the one meant to lead. Maybe not now, but soon."

"Lead away," Wally smiled, as they gathered around their new leader.

"Alright, our most important priority is finding away to stop that shipment from leaving," Aqualad told them.

"What about Sakura?" M'gann asked for Robin.

"She's next. What's more important is stopping that drug and making sure they don't create an army. Sakura is a priority, but finding her is second," Aqualad answered. "Let's get out of the tunnel and go." After his order the team broke out into a run, heading for the exit. Robin pulled up his holoscreen, reading off of it.

"Sportsmaster is the supplier-slash-buyer, but it doesn't add up. He doesn't have the juice to acquire the blockbuster formula, or get Cobra to do the dirty work," Robin told them.

"And neither of them could have combined Venom and Blockbuster together perfectly. That part took some major nerdage," Wally added.

"I believe the expression is, the 'tip of the iceberg'," Kaldur muttered as they came to the exit. They slowed to a stop seeing Bane, buffer and larger than before. His large arm was around Sakura's shoulders, keeping the pinkette pinned to his chest. The pinkette had her eyes closed in pain and was gripping his arm, trying to make him let go.

"Halt, niños," he ordered, dropping an empty vial. "I'm feeling, explosive." The group looked above their heads and saw several small bombs on the roof of the tunnel.

"You betrayed us," Aqualad gasped.

"Seriously?" Wally cried. "We really need to start listening to Kunoichi more! She was right with Suppie, she was right with Mister Twister, and now she's right with this!"

"I keep telling ya," the pinkette hissed. She coughed when she felt Bane's arm tighten, crushing her esophagus.

"Why would you do this?" Aqualad asked.

"I want my factory back," Bane shrugged. "I needed to get you into a position where you would either destroy my enemy, or die trying. And if the later happened, the Justice League would come running, avenging their sidekicks. Once the smoke cleared, Santa Prisca would be under my control again. Blowing the tunnel with you inside, that should produce the same effect," he smirked, holding up a small trigger. When he pushed the button he looked down in shock and confusion to see that the trigger was no longer in his hand.

"With what?" Kid Flash smirked from behind him. "This trigger thingy?" he asked, holding it up.

"Give it back, or I'll pop this girl's head off like a cherry," Bane threatened. Sakura gasped and groaned as his grip on her became stronger.

"What's one life compared to five?" Sakura hissed. "Go ahead; I dare you to kill me." The pinkette said, placing a smirk on her pained face. Bane growled and wrapped both of his arms around Sakura, squeezing her tighter and tighter. Throughout it, Sakura's smirk grew wider. Bane's eyes widened as Sakura slammed her head back, hitting his own. As he stumbled back Sakura quickly spun around kicking his head. "You know, I really must thank you," she chuckled, walking towards him. A chill ran down everyone's spine as they heard her changed voice, it was deeper, and sadistic. "You finally got my little sister to snap," she grabbed Bane's arm and flipped him over her shoulder. "She's gone, and I'm free!"

"M'gann!" Aqualad shouted. M'gann nodded and used her telekinesis to pull them apart.

"Oh right, the Martian," Sakura hissed, looking at the green skinned girl. "You better put me down girlie."

"Drop him," Superboy smirked, walking under Bane. M'gann nodded and allowed him to drop. The clone punched the criminal in the face, using his super strength. Bane flew into the air and landed on the ground harshly.

"What do we do about Sakura over here?" Wally asked, looking up at the pinkette.

"Simple, put me down, I'm still your teammate," the pinkette answered. "And I'm not Sakura, I'm Cherī," the pinkette huffed, crossing her arms. She glared at them with her amber eyes. The team noticed that a lot of features had changed. Sakura looked older, and her hair was now longer, and a darker shade of pink, and reached her knees instead of her waist.

"What do we do with her?" Wally repeated.

"M'gann, please, search her mind," Robin begged. "I don't believe her when she says that Sakura's gone. If anyone can find her, it's you."

"I'll try," M'gann nodded, turning back to the pinkette. She closed her eyes and focused only to be pushed back a moment later. M'gann flew through the air, landing on the ground harshly. Cherī dropped to the ground in a low crouch.

"There are plenty of telepaths in my village, and I've repelled several of them, in my body, and in Sakura's. You're wasting your time," she told them. Superboy came behind her and grabbed her, holding her tightly. "Oh yes, Mr. Strong, pleasure to meet you. I've been itching for our fight. Back in Cadmus, that declaration on calling the first fight that was truly me speaking. This will be fun!" The pinkette elbowed Superboy and kicked him in the shin, making him let go. She twirled around, kicking him in the gut and pushing him back.

"Sakura stop this!" Robin shouted, lunging towards her. Cherī slid to the side to avoid the blow and smirked at the Boy Wonder. "I know your still in there! You'd never give up like this! Take control!" he shouted, punching at her back and forth, but Cherī dodged each shot.

"Come on, Pinky, you can do it," Wally said, kicking her in the back. Cherī fell forward, landing on the ground. "Fight it!"

"You really care for her…don't you…?" Cherī muttered.

"She's our friend, of course we care," Aqualad said, walking up to the fallen girl. Cherī stood up and sighed, wiping the dust off of her uniform.

"Fine, you can have the little brat. But be warned, this won't be the last you see of me," Cherī gave in and closed her eyes. Robin jumped forward to grab Sakura as she fell forward. Sakura's eyes squeezed together before opening them to reveal her emerald orbs.

"Birdie? What happened?" she groaned, rubbing her head.

"Your sister took over for a while," Robin said softly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sakura nodded, standing up straight.

"Glad you're back to normal," M'gann smiled, hugging her. "That was scary."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Sakura apologized. "I knew that if he tried to kill me, Cherī would come out. She wants to preserve my body, so she won't let me die."

"Nice strategy, but I wish you would have told us," Wally smirked, ruffling her hair.

"Your sister is strong," Superboy hissed, rubbing his chest.

"I'm sorry!" Sakura gasped, running over to him. She placed a healing hand on him, soothing his injuries. "Is that better?"

"Yeah thanks," the clone nodded.

"Alright, we have Kunoichi back. Now we have to turn back to the most important thing, stopping that shipment from leaving the island," Aqualad told them.

"Oh yeah, we made Aqualad the leader," Robin told Sakura.

"Good choice," the pinkette nodded.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

The teens peered through the bushes. "Kid, now." Aqualad ordered. Wally nodded and slid his goggles over his eyes, and ran at the goons, knocking a few off their feet.

"Take the shipment!" Cobra shouted at Sportsmaster. Superboy took a few steps back from their hiding place and jumped over to them, creating a crater.

"Go again?" The clone asked, looking at a huge monster with red teeth over his body. The monster charged at him, only to be pushed back by water. "Sorry not part of the plan."

"Our turn," M'gann nodded, turning to Sakura. The two girls nodded and pulled up their hoods.

"You handle the inside, I'll get the outside," Sakura told her. M'gann turned invisible and flew towards the helicopter, while Sakura ran through the battle, stealthily avoiding being seen. She slid under the air vessel and pulled several paper bombs out of her belt. "I love my job," she whispered to herself."

"Sakura! Move on," Aqualad told her. "Robin is in position."

"Right," Sakura replied.

"Don't tell us what to do, we know," Cherī demanded.

"Cherī! You are in my body, and I am on this team! Aqualad is our leader! You will obey his orders whether you like it or not!" Sakura growled at her sister, while running over to Robin. She lunged at Cobra, spinning through the air to kick his back. The man slid to the ground, avoiding her attack. Sakura flipped through the air and slid to a stop next to Robin.

"Two against one? Now that's hardly fair," Cobra muttered. "For you."

"Oh please, do you know how over used that line is?" Sakura scoffed. "And every time I hear it, my side wins."

"I have finished," Kaldur announced.

"Give me a moment," Superboy grunted. Sakura glanced over at them to see M'gann being thrown at him. The helicopter lifted into the sky and Robin and Sakura shared a smirk.

"What are you smirking at?" Cobra growled.

"Oh nothing," The pinkette smiled, up her fingers.

"3" M'gann counted in her head.

"2" Sakura counted out loud placing confusion on Cobra's face.

"1" Cherī finished.

"Release!" Sakura ordered at the same time M'gann pushed a small trigger. The helicopter exploded in midair and began descending towards the factory.

"See," Robin cackled. "Kunoichi's right. Kunoichi's always right." Cobra growled and ran towards Robin, pushing him to the ground. He placed a foot on his chest, while grabbing Sakura by the neck.

"I am plagued by mosquitoes" Cobra growled, glaring at the two of them.

"Good! Cause this mosquito is majorly concerted over the pain we're causing you," Robin growled, twisting his legs to make Cobra jump up. Sakura growled and flipped over him, bending his arms. The two of them jumped back towards the team.

"Six against one, now that seems hardly fair, for you," Sakura smirked, repeating what Cobra had told her.

"Another time then, perhaps," Cobra muttered, stepping back into the jungle. Robin raced forward, pushing the bushes back.

"Forget it Robin, he's long gone," Sakura told him. Robin sighed and turned back towards the team, smiling at Kaldur.

"We picked the right guy to lead," the boy wonder smirked and pointed at Kaldur, laughing under his breath. "Which makes you the perfect guy to explain everything here to Batman!" Robin couldn't hold his laughter anymore and held his sides as he walked away.

"Yeah, Kunoichi reminded me who we answer to, and I didn't want the job anymore," Wally smiled, walking past them.

"Good luck," Sakura giggled, patting his shoulder. "Now let's go home, I missed dinner!"

"Dinner sounds good," Superboy agreed, following after them.

"Come on Aqualad, let's get back to the bioship," M'gann smiled.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

"A simple recon mission," Batman growled. "You were to get in, observe, get out, and report. You will al receive a written report detailing every single mistake you made on the mission," he told them, walking past the line of tense heroes. "Until then, good work." The group looked up at him in a mixture of shock and disbelief. "No battle plan survives the first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen, determines how successful you are. And how you chose who to lead, determines character." Aqualad and Robin looked at each other, wearing small smirks. "And how you save and recover you teammate, defines the relationships you share. You all care very much for Sakura if holding back and using your words says anything, which it does."

"Of course we do," Robin smiled, pulling Sakura into a sideways hug. The other members joined the hug, laughing over Sakura's flustered look. Batman looked over at the young teenagers and a ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

"You are dismissed," he told them, turning around before they could see his face.

"Oh! Can we go out for ice cream to celebrate now?" Sakura asked excitedly.

"I agree with that plan," Wally smiled.

"Do you agree?" Superboy asked Aqualad. The teenagers turned to the Atlantean with hopeful eyes.

"Yes, but Wally's paying," Kaldur smirked. The team, except Wally, cheered and headed out of the room.

"What? Why do I have to pay?" the speedster complained.

"Because you'll end up ordering the most," Sakura answered. "It's either that or you pay for your own ice cream and Robin here pays for ours."

"What? Why me?" Robin asked.

"I like that plan," Wally smirked.

"Because, Birdie, you have Batman's debit card," Sakura answered, pushing him to the front of the group.

Inside the mission room, Batman frowned as he heard Sakura's last statement, and sighed, rubbing his forehead. "That boy better not buy anything expensive."


	8. Chapter 8

The buzzer went off as Aqualad once again missed the holographic puck. The team was inside the mission room, which was doubling at a training room and a site for air hockey at the moment.

"Wow, you suck at air hockey," Sakura muttered, looking at the holographic game. "That's like the fifth puck in a row that you've missed."

"I'm just that good," Wally smirked.

"I bet I could beat you," Sakura smirked, gently pushing Kaldur away. They both got ready, placing their hands on the projection and forming the blockers. Sakura hit the puck towards him and the two went back and forth, as the other team members looked on in anticipation.

Recognized Superboy

Superboy entered through the zeta tubes.

"Hey Superboy," Sakura greeted, quickly blocking the puck.

"How was Metropolis?" M'gann asked. The clone walked through the table, destroying the game.

"Hey," Sakura protested, but a cough made her stop. The pinkette turned around and looked at Black Canary with hearts in her eyes. "Hi Black Canary," she sighed softly. Robin snickered from behind her, making the pinkette turn around and glare at him.

"Hey," their trainer smiled, ruffling Sakura's hair. The pinkette turned her attention back to Black Canary and smiled back. "You kids ready for training?"

"Uncle J'onn!" M'gann smiled, rushing to Martian Manhunter.

"Hello M'gann. I was, in the neighborhood, and decided to see if you were adjusting well," J'onn smiled.

"Yeah," M'gann nodded. "A few bumps here and there but I'm settling in just fine."

"That's all I can ask for," J'onn smiled.

"Stick around Superboy," Black Canary called, making the team turn to face the clone. "Class is in session." The teens gathered at the edge of the circle and Black Canary strolled to the center. The hi-tech floor turned white and she turned to face them. "I consider it an honor to be your mentor. I'm going to hit you with everything I've got. Everything my mentors have taught me and everything I've learned…ah," she hissed, pulling off her jacket. She gripped her arm, right below a bandaged part. "From my own battle scars."

"What happened?" M'gann asked.

"The job," Black Canary answered, tossing her jacket outside the ring.

"Do you want me to heal it?" Sakura asked hopefully.

"No, I'll be fine, it's just a scratch," the woman declined. "Now, combat is all about controlling a situation, shifting the battle to your terms. You should be acting, never reacting. Now, I'll need a sparring partner." The Black Canary smirked and watched Sakura and Wally both raise their hands quickly.

"Right here," Wally smirked, entering the ring.

"Hey!" The pinkette protested, but Robin pulled her back. Wally took the last bite of his banana and tossed the peel towards the trash can.

"After this, I can show you my moves," he winked at the blonde woman.

"No fair, I wanted to battle Black Canary…" Sakura pouted.

"Don't worry Kunoichi, you'll get your turn," Black Canary assured her. The pinkette brightened up considerably and clasped her hands in anticipation. Black Canary smirked and punched, Wally who blocked the attack. She quickly ducked to the ground and swung her leg out, knocking Kid Flash on his back. There was a ring around Wally, with a sign saying 'Kid Flash Status: FAIL'

"…hurt so good," Wally groaned.

"Good block," Canary complemented, helping him stand up. "But did anyone see his mistake?"

"Oh! He hit on teacher and got served," Robin smirked.

"Dude!" Wally hissed.

"He didn't let me fight you," Sakura suggested.

"What are you, a lesbian?" Wally muttered.

"No, I admire Black Canary," Sakura sighed, clasping her hands together. "Black Canary is strong, graceful, and a great fighter on the battle field. And in everyday life she's elegant, sophisticated, and independent."

"Thank you," Black Canary smiled. "Now his mistake was allowing me to dictate the terms of our fight."

"Oh please," Superboy grumbled. Black Canary turned to face him with a smirk. "With my powers, the battle is always on my terms. I'm a living weapon, that's what I was created for. This is just a waste of my time."

"Prove it," Black Canary smirked. Superboy stalked over to her and they both slid into fighting stances. Wally raced back to the ring with the others. Superboy aimed a punch at Canary but the woman grabbed his arm and flung him over her shoulder. Superboy landed on the ground with a loud thud. Robin began pointing at the clone and laughing. Aqualad elbowed him, making the Boy Wonder cover his mouth to stifle his giggles.

"He was defeated faster than Wally," Sakura gushed in admiration. Superboy growled and rolled onto his knees, glaring at the woman that beat him.

"You're angry, that's good. But don't react. Channel the anger you have inside," Canary ordered. Super boy growled and rushed their trainer. Canary flipped over him and kicked him in the back before sweeping his feet out from under him. Robin's hands flew to his mouth as he started laughing again. The pinkette beside him stared at Black Canary with admiration.

"That's it," Superboy growled getting up, and pushing her arm away. "I'm done!"

"Training is a requirement," Black Canary said firmly.

"Batman to the cave." A screen appeared next to them, showing Batman's image. "Five hours ago, Green Arrow and Black Canary were attacked by a new menace. This menace was able to study and then duplicate the powers and abilities of its opponents, sending their attacks right back." Video feed of a robotic man battling the Justice League appeared on the screen. "Arrow called in reinforcements, which proved to be a mistake. With each person that joined the fight, the opponent grew stronger and gained more power."

"Whoa, one man with the powers of the entire League," Wally breathed in shock.

"He could be a one man army, a super weapon," Sakura realized.

"In the end, it took 4 hours for 8 Leaguers to defeat and finally dismantle the android," Batman informed them.

"An android? Who created him? T. O. Morrow?" Robin asked.

"Good guess, Robin. But no, Red Tornado doesn't think so," Batman told him.

"Well, could it have been Cadmus?" Sakura asked. "I mean, they lost Superboy, I would think that they'd want to get a new weapon back and fast."

"No, the technology bears a resemblance to Professor Ivo," J'onn told them.

"Ivo? But he's dead," Aqualad protested.

"So we thought, or rather, hoped," Black Canary agreed.

"To make sure that this threat is permanently neutralized, we are sending the parts to two separate S.T.A.R. labs for immediate analysis. One truck will be going to Boston and the other will be heading for New York," Batman informed them. We are being extra careful about this. There will be an additional four trucks to create confusion in case Ivo, or anyone, tries to recover the remains. You will provide back up and follow the two trucks and protect them."

"Yes, road trip!" Wally cheered.

"So now we take out your garbage?" Superboy glared at the screen.

"Do you have anything better to do?" Batman responded with a glare of his own. Superboy quickly turned his head, backing down from the challenge.

"Coordinates have been received, we're on our way there now," Aqualad told them.

"Aw, but I never got to fight Black Canary," Sakura protested.

"We'll fight next time," the blonde smiled. Sakura lit up and quickly followed after her team, not waiting for Superboy.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

The team was wearing racing suits that resembled their uniforms and were perched on motorcycles. They were hidden behind a bunch of bushes, watching the trucks being loaded. Sakura finished tying her hair up in a ponytail and slid her helmet on, starting the bike.

"You remember your teams?" Aqualad asked.

"Yep, it's me, Superboy, and Blossom," Robin nodded.

"And Kid Flash and I are with you," M'gann told him.

"Good," Aqualad nodded as the trucks moved out of the field. "Then move out." The six motorcycles drove forward, following the trucks.

"This is so weird," Sakura commented through the microphone in her helmet.

"Weird how?" Robin asked.

"I've never used one of these things before," Sakura answered. "As a ninja you're always on your feet. It feels weird."

"Really? You've never been in a car before?" Robin asked in shock. "You know, aside from when you and your team stayed with me and Batman."

"No, we don't even have cars. Our village is small enough to where everything is in walking distance," Sakura explained. "Even on missions outside of the village, we only encountered horse drawn carriages."

"Old school," Robin laughed.

"I know, which is why this is so weird for me," Sakura laughed as well.

"How did you do so well in the bioship?" Superboy asked.

"I trusted M'gann," the pinkette answered. "Besides, I've been flying in jets before. At least I don't get air sick like Naruto."

"Oh yeah, that was funny," Robin snickered. The three fell back into a silence as they made sure to avoid the turn and follow their truck. Robin turned to face his teammates to begin the chatter again. "If 'dislike' is the opposite of 'like', is 'disaster' the opposite of 'aster'? Instead of things going wrong, they would go right."

"There is logic behind that, but no," Sakura answered. "Aster is a real word, just like whelmed, but aster is a type of flower. Aster can also refer to a cell that has a star shaped structure."

"Well, aster has a third meaning now," Robin told them.

"Whatever you say, Birdie," Sakura chuckled.

"Superboy," Robin called, looking at him. "You're totally not feeling the aster. What's wrong?"

"Canary," Superboy answered.

"What's wrong with Canary? She's wonderful," Sakura smiled.

"Ignoring Sakura gush about her idol," Robin muttered, looking at the clone.

"Sorry, it's a reflex, there aren't very many female warriors in my village," Sakura apologized.

"It's alright," Superboy sighed. "But, what right does she have to teach combat skills to a guy with super strength?"

"Hey, I have super strength too," Sakura reminded him. "Most of the time anyway."

"Yeah, and taking down stronger guys is part of her job," Robin added. "She learned that the hard way. Same with Batman and well…me." Superboy glared at the road ahead of them and revved up his bike, zooming ahead of them.

"I had to learn it that way too, and fast," Sakura told them. "My team was being put through a test, the Chunin Exams. If we passed we got to go onto the next level, we would graduate from genin and become chunin. Naruto and Sasuke were both out for the count and I had to protect them until they woke up. I was attacked and it was three against one. One of my friends, Lee, he came to help, but he got beat up pretty bad. Up until that point, Sasuke and Naruto had always protected me, and they had viewed me as someone weaker, despite my strength. I had to protect my friends, or we were all going to die."

"What happened?" Superboy asked, slowing down.

"Another team came, Shikamaru, Chouji, and my ex-friend Ino. They helped prolong the battle until Sasuke woke up. When he did…" the pinkette took a shaky breath and steeled her gaze, glaring at her handlebars. Her grip on them tightened and she let out another breath "He mercilessly broke the arms of one of my opponents because he boasted about hurting me. The team gave us a scroll, which we needed to complete the exam, and said they would never attack us again."

"That was when you cut your hair, wasn't it?" Robin asked. He was cut off when green and black robotic monkeys flew past them, landing on the truck.

"Superboy, Robin, Kunoichi, our truck is under attack!" Aqualad told them.

"Kinda figured," Robin replied.

"Ours is under attack as well. By some sort of-"

"Green and black robotic monkeys? We have them too," Wally finished for the pinkette.

"I hate monkeys," Superboy growled under his breath.

"Robo-Monkeys are totally Ivo's tweak style!" Robin laughed. He pressed a button on his bike and his front wheel slid back while the bottom half of his motorcycle detached itself, becoming a hovercraft. "Hey switch to battle mode!"

"So cool," Sakura smiled, pressing a button on her bike. A second hovercraft entered the air and Sakura felt herself speed up slightly as the bike grew lighter.

"I don't see the point," Superboy huffed, jumping off his bike.

"Or not!" Robin muttered, taking out his grappling hook, he jumped off his bike and swung towards the van. Sakura swerved out of the way before the two bikes could hit her. She revved up and came to the side of the van. She took out a kunai and began slashing at the monkeys, slapping them off as they tried to retaliate. A shout from Superboy made her pause and she looked up to see him being picked up by the monkeys. They tossed him onto the road and Sakura noticed that his eyes were burned. She turned her bike around and came to a stop next to him. She jumped off the bike and pulled her helmet off, placing a hand over his eyes.

"How well can you see?" She asked.

"Everything's blurry, but we need to go after the truck," Superboy growled.

"In a moment, I need to heal your eyes," Sakura ordered. She removed her hand and the clone blinked, his vision becoming crystal clear. He picked up Sakura, bridal style, and jumped through the air, flying towards the van. He jumped right behind it then jumped up, setting Sakura down. Monkeys jumped on him, attacking. Sakura quickly jumped inside the hole that the monkeys had created, ignoring the surprised soldiers. She took out her kunai and growled, throwing them at the monkeys. "There's no way in hell we're letting you take those parts!" The pinkette was thrown off balance and slammed against the walls as the truck began to roll. It came to a stop and the pinkette groaned, falling to the ceiling, which had become the floor. The monkeys blasted through the door and left with the box of parts. A soldier swung her arm and his shoulder and helped her get out. They placed her on the street and collapsed on the ground, grabbing their head. Superboy growled and pushed the truck off of him. He didn't waste a second in jumping after the monkeys.

"They're gone," Robin huffed into his communicator, "And so is Superboy."

"And Kunoichi?" Aqualad asked.

"I'm okay," Sakura hissed, standing up. "I'm just a little shaken up."

"Superboy, radio in with your position so we can come help you," Aqualad ordered.

"I don't NEED HELP!" Superboy shouted. They heard another yell, but it was fainter.

"Superboy?" Aqualad called.

"I think he ditched his comm." Robin said with a slight wince.

"Yeah, I heard a comm. fall to the ground too," Sakura sighed.

"SUPER! Now we can't even track him!" Wally shouted.

"He's out of my telepathic range, I can't contact him," M'gann sighed. "If this Ivo guy is really alive, he seems to be two steps ahead of us. Maybe we should contact Red Tornado and the League," she suggested weakly.

"No," Aqualad ordered. "Red Tornado is always telling us to handle our problem ourselves. The mission can still succeed if we can recover the stolen parts before Ivo reassembles them."

"Perfect plan!" Wally shouted sarcastically "Except you're forgetting one small detail. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK!" Sakura walked over to one of the monkeys and picked it up smirking.

"Oh oh, Ah ah," she smiled, imitating the monkey's cry.

"Maybe we do know where to look," Robin smirked, walking over to her. He pulled a chord out of his glove and attached it to the monkey's back. He pulled his holoscreen up and started typing. "We would have heard by now if the other trucks had been attacked. So, the million dollar question is-"

"How did the monkeys know to target our trucks," Sakura smirked. "You know, aside from the obvious of us following the trucks and never being more than a few feet away the entire time. Still say that was a bad idea and we should have gone a little more stealthy."

"Yes, we'll listen to you next time," Robin told her, causing the pinkette to roll her eyes. "Yes! The parts had a GPS tracker! The monkeys could track the parts, and now we can track them with the monkey we've captured! Let's see, both sets are converging on…Gotham City?" he asked in disbelief.

"I did notice that Gotham was between the two cities," Sakura muttered.

"That far south?" Aqualad groaned. "M'gann and I will never make it there in time. I'm going to send Kid there to meet you. Aqualad out."

Robin lowered his arm, turning off the computer. He pressed a button on his glove at the same time as Sakura, the two of them calling for their bikes.

"This is definitely a disaster," the Boy Wonder sighed. "Heavy on the 'dis'." He reached for the zipper on his suit and began pulling on it. "I'm going to change into my uniform."

"Alright" Sakura nodded.

"I'll be right out," he muttered, walking towards the van. He stepped inside and a moment later he stepped back out, fastening the cape around his shoulders. "Do you want to change as well?"

"Yeah, this is starting chafe," Sakura nodded, going into the van. She undid the zipper and huffed. "I don't know how and Kid can handle these suits. They're so constricting."

"You just get used to it," Robin chuckled from outside as the bikes rolled up to them. "Besides, our uniforms are looser." Sakura came out and pulled on her jacket.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" she smirked, climbing on her bike. The two of them revved the engine and took off down the road, heading for Gotham.


	9. Chapter 9

Robin and Sakura sped towards Gotham city under the cover of the night sky. Wally sped up next to them, easily keeping up.

"So you changed as well, huh?" Robin said, noticing that he was in costume.

"Are you kidding? I feel naked in civvies," Wally shuddered. "So, where are the parts now?"

"Well, they were heading towards Gotham, put their path seems to have changed."

"You don't think that could mean the android has been reassembled, do you?" Sakura asked.

"It's possible," Robin told them. "Dude…its heading for my school!"

"Gotham Academy? What would that thing gain from raiding your school? It's not like there are any metas walking around there," Sakura told them.

"No, but there could be a clone," Wally realized.

"Oh no, Superboy!" Sakura gasped.

"Let's hurry! We have to save him!" Robin shouted, speeding up his bike. Sakura and Wally followed his lead, speeding up as well. Robin and Sakura jumped off the bikes and threw off their helmets, entering the school building.

"Okay, where are they?" Wally asked.

"They're in the Chem Lab! Wait now they're in the gym," Robin answered.

"Got it," Wally answered, running off.

"Does he know his way around?" Sakura asked.

"No, but I do, come on!" He shouted, running off down the hall. They sped through and Robin opened a door.

"Yoink!" Wally shouted, grabbing Superboy off of the floor. He ran over to them, setting the clone down. Robin took out a disk and threw it at the android.

"Martian Manhunter," he droned. The disk went right through him, exploding behind him.

"Well, good thing it's still summer," Sakura muttered.

"Red Tornado," the android said, a red cyclone forming around him. He flew towards them, flying them in opposite directions. "Captain Atom." He shot a laser at Wally. "Black Canary." A hypersonic screech was sent at Wally, who ran to the other side of the gym, only to be pushed back. "Superman." The android turned around, catching Superboy's punch. He tossed the clone into the bleachers next to Robin. "Martian Manhunter." His arms extended and he destroyed the disks, before swinging his arms to hit Robin. Kid Flash ran over to him, only to be grabbed by Amazo. "Superman." Wally gasped as he was being crushed. "Martian Manhunter." An arrow soared through his head, but didn't affect him. When he accessed Martian Manhunter's power, Kid Flash slipped through his grip, falling to the ground.

"That is it!" Sakura growled, running forward. Amazo stayed still as Sakura punched him. "Why don't you access someone else, see if you actually stand a chance.

"Access Black-!" The android was cut off as Sakura punched him, sending him back. "Black Canary." Amazo commanded, standing up strong.

"Uh-oh," Sakura muttered, as she was hit with Black Canary's cry. She hit the wall hard, sliding to the ground with a groan. Amazo grabbed Superboy's arm and threw him into the bleachers. "Superman." Amazo commanded. Lasers shot from his eyes and Kid Flash scooped up Robin, running across the room. The speedster tripped over his own feet and they rolled onto the ground.

"Yawn…" Ivo sighed. "Normally Amazo would study and copy your abilities, but what's the point? You're weak copies of the originals."

"What did you just say?" Sakura muttered, standing up.

"I said you were nothing more than a weak copy of the originals," Ivo smirked. "And who are you supposed to be? Black Canary's new sidekick?"

"I wish," Sakura smirked. "My original is right inside of me!" Sakura shouted. Her hair became dark pink and grew longer while her eyes became amber. "Nobody messes with my little sister and gets away with it!" Cherī declared, glaring at Ivo.

"You're saying what everyone else is saying," Superboy muttered. "It makes me angry!" The two teens jumped onto the bleachers, creating craters. Ivo quickly ran away from them, tripping over his feet. "Do you wanna see me channel that anger!?"

"And how would you like to see the power of the original Kunoichi?" Cherī shouted, flipping in front of him. On the other side of the gym Robin and Kid Flash groaned as they stood up.

"Great, Superboy's gone ballistic again. And it looks like Cherī is in control," Kid Flash groaned.

"Amazo! Protect your master!" Ivo shouted, stumbling down the bleachers when Cherī tried to grab him. "Priority alpha!" He jumped off the bleachers as Superboy jumped over to him, slamming his hands down.

"Captain Atom," Amazo commanded. He shot a laser at the two, blowing them back.

"Anyone wanna play keep away?" Robin smirked, kicking Ivo in the back and sending him away.

"Me me!" Kid Flash cheered, running for the professor.

"Access Superman." Amazo slammed his foot on the ground, sending a shockwave towards Wally. He flew through the air and landed on the bleachers. Cherī and Robin took out weapons and threw them at him. "Martian Manhunter" the weapons just passed through him. Cherī jumped behind the android while Superboy jumped in front. "Superman." Superboy quickly punched him in the head. Amazo's body hardened around the limb, shorting out and blowing up.

"Help me disassemble him!" Robin shouted, rushing to the robot.

"Dude, the guy has no head, I'm pretty sure we're good," Wally told him.

"Don't take any chances!" Aqualad shouted, as he and M'gann entered the room. Cherī took out a kunai with a paper bomb attached.

"Stand back, I can have him reduced to nothing in no time at all," she requested.

"No, the League wants to analyze the parts," Robin told her. "How can they do that if you blow the thing up?"

"You're no fun," Cherī muttered, putting the kunai away.

"Superboy? Are you alright?" M'gann asked, rushing over to him.

"Yeah," the clone nodded. "I'm feeling the aster." Robin sent a smile towards the young teen and turned back to Amazo.

"Hey! Where's Ivo?" Wally asked, looking around the gym.

"That little snake," Cherī growled. "I'll go find him."

"No, you are to stay here," Aqualad ordered. "And give Sakura back control of her body."

"What? Are you insane? I'm better at tracking! I could find this guy in ten seconds! Isn't that what the stupid League wants?" Cherī scoffed.

"What the League 'wants' is for us to deliver the parts to two separate S.T.A.R. labs for analysis," Aqualad reminded her.

"Well you are not the boss of me! I'm going after Ivo and his damn monkeys," Cherī growled.

"No, but Aqualad is the boss of Sakura," Robin said, stepping in her path. "You are in her body, and are taking her place right now. That means you obey him. Either you obey his orders, or we can have the League hunt you down and force you to give control back to Sakura." The two of them had a glaring contest that last for several tense moments. Cherī let out a sigh and closed her eyes, ruffling Robin's hair.

"You're lucky Sakura won't let me hurt you," she muttered, before turning back into Sakura. The pinkette gripped her head and fell to her knees, wobbling in place.

"Why is the room spinning? Did we win?" With that Sakura fell back, passing out. Robin caught her, pulling her close to his chest before she could hit the ground. The Boy Wonder let out a sigh of relief and smiled down at his teammate.

"Well, things will never be boring with her on the team," Wally muttered.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

"The parts have been delivered to the lab and are currently being analyzed," Aqualad reported. "But Ivo escaped. And since he's the one that created the machine, he's more dangerous than the android itself."

"Capturing the professor will be a League priority," Black Canary assured them.

"But we understand that your mission had other problems," Manhunter told them. The group, minus Sakura stared at Superboy, the one that had gone off the railing.

"Complications come with the job," Batman told them. "But, your abilities to handle them have impressed the League."

"The whole League?" Superboy asked hopefully.

"No, but given time, yes," Batman answered. "As I'm sure you're aware, Kryptonians have very hard heads." Superboy looked away and smirked. Sakura giggled and lightly tapped his head with her knuckles. "Of course there is no shame in asking us for assistance. That's why the League exists. There are some things that even we can't handle on our own."

"As if," Robin scoffed. "We'd never get the chance to ask for help if we really needed it." He took out an arrow, holding it up. "Look familiar? You were following us the whole time! Babysitting! You still don't trust us!"

"We didn't follow you," Batman informed him, passing the arrow to Green Arrow. The archer pulled out one of his arrows.

"They have different tips," Sakura observed. "It doesn't belong to you."

"Then that means…" Robin trailed off, a smile growing on his face.

"Speedy!" Wally shouted in happiness.

"He has our backs," Aqualad smiled.

"Souvenir," Wally smiled, taking the projectile away. Superboy cleared his throat and walked over to Black Canary.

"I'm ready," he whispered.

"Good, because I'm here," Canary smiled.

"Wait a minute!" Sakura protested. "I still haven't been able to fight Canary yet! Unfair!"

"You really want to fight her," M'gann observed.

"Of course I do," Sakura smiled, clasping her hands together. "The best way to learn is by doing and observing. As a ninja, those two can go hand in hand! By fighting Black Canary I could learn new moves and test them out there!" Her cheeks were pink and everyone could see the sparkles and excitement in her eyes.

"Are you sure you don't wanna test if you could become her apprentice?" Robin snickered. Sakura glared at him slapped him on the head, but that only made the Boy Wonder laugh harder.

"What?" Canary asked in shock.

"Yeah, Ivo didn't recognize her and thought she was your sidekick," Wally told them.

"Stop laughing!" Sakura shouted at the older boy.

"The fact that you're being so defensive about the idea only proves me right," Robin laughed, holding his sides.

"Robin! If you don't stop laughing right now, I don't care if it's one of Batman's rules, I will reveal your secret ID!" Robin stopped laughing and straightened up, taking a breath.

"Alright, I'll stop," he muttered. "Besides, if you did that, you would be answering to Bats over there," he smirked, pointing at his mentor. The pinkette looked at the bat themed man, who was glaring at her from under his cowl.

"I don't' care. I've been trained under Kakashi Hatake and Tsunade! I'm not afraid of anything!" Sakura huffed, crossing her arms.

"Oh really?" Robin challenged.

"Uh-oh, something bad is gonna happen," Wally muttered.

"Well, if you truly aren't afraid of anything, I dare you to patrol Gotham with me tomorrow night," Robin smirked. "And, the next time the Joker attacks, you have to come with me and Bats."

"Please, the Joker is nothing," the pinkette scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Hello! The Joker is a psychotic killer clown! What's scarier than that?" Robin shouted.

"Orochimaru," Sakura answered softly, her eyes becoming downcast. "And then there's the Akatsuki! They are way scarier than the Joker. And they're more messed up in the head than the Joker." Her voice became harsher and she smirked at him.

"How are the Akatsuki bad?" Superboy asked. "And who's Orochimaru?"

"They're my villains," Sakura answered curtly, not going any further.

"Both of you calm down," Batman ordered harshly.

"Yes sir," they complied, bowing their heads.

"Robin, you cannot just invite her on a mission for when the Joker attacks," Batman scolded.

"Sorry," Robin apologized.

"And Sakura, you will never reveal his identity," Batman told her.

"Hai…gomen…" Sakura nodded, reverting back to Japanese.

"Good, now, if you truly want, I'll leave patrolling to you two tomorrow," Batman agreed.

"Really?" They asked in shock.

"Yes, but nothing better go wrong," Batman warned them, walking away.

"Whoa, you got off the hook," Wally whispered.

"I would have thought you would get a more severe punishment," Kaldur agreed.

"Oh we do have a punishment," Robin muttered, crossing his arms. "We have to be extra careful on patrol tomorrow."

"Yeah, we should go over some plans just in case," Sakura agreed. The two younger teens nodded, quickly walking out of the room, and leaving the others behind.

"Alright, why don't you kids go take a shower and eat dinner, it's been a long night," Black Canary told them. The teens nodded in agreement and exited the room, going for the locker rooms.


	10. Chapter 10

The young teens walked onto the beach alcove wearing swimsuits. M'gann took a deep breath and stretched her arms, holding onto a boogey board. "Hello Megan! We should hit the beach every day!"

"First, a moment of silence for our…absent teammate," Robin sighed, dropping his head.

"Poor Wally," M'gann agreed.

"It sucks that he has to be back in school already," Sakura nodded, lowering her head for a second. "Alright, silence is over! Let's have some fun!" She turned to Robin, and grabbed him, making him drop the volleyball. "Bet I can swim farther than you can!"

"Oh, you are so on!" Robin cheered, taking the towel off of his shoulder. He ran after her, diving into the ocean.

The team spent the day at the beach, playing in the water. For lunch they had grilled hotdogs and had some ice cream that Sakura had brought along. After lunch they had played a few rounds of volleyball. But, due to the uneven numbers they were switching on who was referee on each round; needless to say, when Robin and Sakura teamed up, they quickly beat Kaldur and Superboy. After the games they decided to retire to the sand and even buried Superboy. Their fun was halted when Red Tornado came to fetch them, telling them to suit up.

\-----------------------------------------------------------

Recognized Kid Flash

"Alright the Wall-man is here! Let's get this party start-Whoa!" he shouted as he tripped over the beach umbrella he had brought. The beach ball bounced out of his hand, jumping to the other side of the room, passing a glaring Batman. "-ted?" Wally finished weakly. The teens moved, to show a blonde, green clad archer.

"'Wall-man' is it? I love your uniform," the girl smirked. "What exactly are your powers?"

"Who are you?" Wally asked, approaching the circle.

"Artemis, your new teammate," she answered.

"Kid Flash, never heard of you," the red head.

"She's my new protégé," Green Arrow informed them, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What happened to your old one?" Wally asked in anger.

Recognized Speedy

"Well, for starters, he doesn't go by 'Speedy' anymore," the older teen answered. "I'm Red Arrow now." Sakura whistled and winked playfully.

"Love the new uniform, especially with the fact that you ditched the hat. It looked a little ridiculous," she laughed.

"Roy, you look-"

"Replaceable," Roy growled, cutting off his former mentor.

"I would have chosen the word 'hot'," Sakura smirked. She blinked when everyone stared at her. "What? I'm just saying what's on my mind."

"Did your teacher rub off on you or something?" Robin asked, crossing his arm. Sakura looked up at the ceiling with her finger on her chin, before looking back at him and nodding.

"Well, that explains a lot..." Wally muttered, crossing his arms.

"Roy, it's not like that, I swear," Green Arrow said, turning back to his old protégé. "You told me you were going solo, so-"

"So why waste time finding a sub," Roy interrupted again. "Can she even use that bow?"

"Yes, she can," Artemis answered, glaring at him.

"Who are you?" Wally repeated.

"I'm his niece."

"She's my niece." The two green clad archers answered without missing a beat.

"Another niece," Robin muttered. "I didn't know so many Leaguers had nieces."

"And she is not your replacement," Kaldur assured Roy. "We have always wanted you on the team. Even when you refused, we liked to believe you were still with us. And we have no quota on archers."

"And even if we did, you know we'd pick you," Wally smiled. "Right?"

"Yeah, I mean, we know how to work with you," Robin nodded. He turned to Sakura who looked down in shame.

"I don't know," the pinkette sighed. "Roy is our friend, and he's pretty awesome, but Artemis seems so cool!" She smiled looking at blonde in admiration.

"Here we go," Robin sighed. "Kunoichi's admiring the strong independent type girl again. So does this mean Black Canary is no longer your idol?"

"I can have more than one idol, ya know," Sakura snapped.

"You came to us for a reason," Kaldur said, directing the attention back to Red Arrow.

"Yes, I did," Roy nodded, "The reason is named Dr. Serling Roquette."

"You mean the nanotech genius and claytronics expert at Royal University in Star City?" Sakura asked, while Robin pulled up files on the woman.

"She vanished two weeks ago," Robin told them.

"Correction, she was abducted two weeks ago. By the League of Shadows," Roy informed them.

"Whoa, you want us to rescue her from the League of Shadows?" Robin asked in amazement.

"Hardcore," Wally smiled, bumping fists with Robin.

"I already rescued her," Roy informed the team.

"Then what do you need us for?" Sakura asked. "There has to be more, you wouldn't have come here just to tell us what you did."

"Correct," Roy nodded. "The Shadows coerced her into making a weapon, and it had just been completed when I rescued her. Doc calls it 'The Fog'. It's made out millions of microscopic robots, more specifically, nanotech infiltrators capable of disintegrating anything in their path. Concrete, steel, flesh, bone, you name it, they can destroy it."

"So, the Shadows could unleash this 'Fog' and destroy whole cities?" Sakura asked.

"It could, yes," Roy nodded. "But destruction isn't what they were created for. They were created for stealing. The bugs store any and all data they can gather from the computer systems they devour. And then they deliver the stolen Intel to the shadows."

"Whoa, with that kind of knowledge, they could get weapons defense systems, anything they wanted," Sakura realized.

"If they chose the right facilities to infiltrate, who knows what they could do," Robin added.

"Exactly," Roy nodded.

"It's perfect for extortion, manipulation, power broking, yeah, that sounds like the Shadows alright," Artemis sighed.

"Like you know anything about the shadows," Wally scoffed, crossing his arms. Artemis glanced at him, a smirk present on her face. "Who are you!?" The red head shouted in frustration, throwing his hands back.

"Artemis, Green Arrow's niece," Sakura smirked in reply. "You've met Green Arrow, haven't you?"

"Okay, I don't need lip from you as well," Wally shouted at the pinkette.

"The doctor is working on a virus that can render the Fog useless," Roy told them.

"But if the Shadows know that she can do that then-" Robin was cut off by the red archer.

"They'll target her, yes," Roy said. "Right now, she's off the grid. I hid her in the local high school's computer lab."

"You left her alone?" Green Arrow asked in shock.

"She's safe for now," Roy answered harshly.

"Then why don't you and I keep her that way?" Green Arrow suggested.

"'You and I'," Roy scoffed. "You don't want to take your new protégé?" Green Arrow was about to respond, when Batman placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a silent warning.

"You brought this mission to the team," Green Arrow sighed, "Which means it's her mission too."

"Then my job here is done," Roy muttered, strutting towards the zeta tubes.

Recognized Speedy

"That's Red Arrow," Roy growled "Update." The tubes sprang to life and Red Arrow disappeared.

"We have a mission to do, Kid Flash, suit up," Aqualad answered.

"Yeah, fine, don't have to tell me twice," Wally huffed, throwing his hands off. "Can't believe I missed out on the beach." The red head continued muttering as he sped off to change.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is everyone online?" M'gann's voice rang through their minds.

"This is weird," Artemis said, looking around the computer lab.

"And distracting," Serling huffed. "Coding a distributive algorithm virus on a kiddy computer with less RAM than a wrist watch is hard enough! Now I have to hear teen think in my skull?"

"What did she just say?" Sakura asked, looking at Robin.

"I thought you knew everything," the boy wonder snickered in his head.

"I do! I just don't understand the tech talk, no matter how hard I try," the pinkette groaned. "You're forgetting, I grew up in a small village, we don't really electronics. We don't need them, so I was never taught anything about them. But I did catch one thing. 'Teen Think' would be a good name for a teenage band."

"I will never understand how your mind works," Robin sighed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Neither will I," Cherī grumbled.

"Lady, do you complain about everyone that tries to help you?" Wally grumbled, taking a bite of his protein bar. He quickly tore Artemis's attention away from Cherī before she could ask.

"Pot, kettle, have you met?" Artemis asked.

"Hey! I'm not going to take attitude from some new girl that threw Red Arrow off the team!" Wally told her.

"Oh! That is so not on me!" Artemis shouted, jumping up.

"Hello! Fate of the world is at stake! Did you two forget that!?" Serling shouted at them.

"She started it!" Wally defended indignantly.

"Wow, mature," Sakura and Cherī muttered.

"How about I end it?"Artemis huffed, walking towards the door. "I'll help Miss Martian and Superboy patrol the perimeter."

"Good idea," Aqualad nodded, glaring at Wally.

"Dude, cut the girl a break," Robin smiled, looking at his friend. "It was her arrow that saved your butt against Amazo."

"No! That was Speedy-I mean Red Arrow's arrow!" Wally protested. "Wasn't it?"

"Nope," Robin, Sakura, and Cherī answered.

"Whatever! I'm still not giving her the satisfaction," Wally grumbled.

"You know that I can still here you, right!" Artemis shouted through the link. Wally growled out loud and gripped his head in anger, causing Robin and Sakura to snicker.

"Ugh, I couldn't have gotten the Justice League," Serling groaned, rubbing her forehead.

"Lady, you're dealing with teenagers here. And we're pretty bored just sitting around here," Cherī reminded her.

"Besides, we handle the more covert and off the radar stuff. If we had the Justice League here the Shadows would be over this place in ten seconds," Sakura smiled.

"Really having a bunch of teenagers is the better thing," Robin agreed.

"Okay, before I go out of range, why do I keep hearing a female voice that I know doesn't belong to any of you?" Artemis asked.

"You're hearing things," Sakura answered quickly.

"Whatever," Artemis scoffed.

"The virus won't be of much use if we can't find the weapon. Can you track it?" Aqualad asked.

"My Fog is not a weapon," Serling said harshly. "It's science, brilliant science! And of course I can track it, but I'd have to go online. If I did that, I might as well rent a billboard with this address and 'Assassinate Me' written in neon."

"No doubt the shadows are waiting for her to go online to try and track it. They probably have some device waiting to intercept the tracking once it connects to Fog. Then, once they get that interception they'll be able to quickly track us in return and send someone here to try and kill the woman! We should wait until she's nearly done with the virus," Sakura told them.

"We will protect you," Kaldur assured Serling.

"Alright, I'm tracking Fog now," Serling announced. "Well, things are about to get very interesting," Cherī said. The others could hear the smirk in her voice.

"I mean, every time I tell you something, I'm right, but do you listen to me? No! And every time you say 'We'll listen to Kunoichi next time', and do you listen? NO!"Sakura growled, crossing her arms.

"Sorry Blossom. We're guys, how often do guys listen to girls?" Robin smiled, pulling her in for a hug.

"You have a point," The pinkette nodded, leaning into him.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

"Mmm that boy," Artemis said through the link.

"He can hear you! We can all hear you!" M'gann reminded her.

"Oh, I know," Artemis replied.

"Oh! I'm liking this girl more every minute," Sakura giggled.

"Miss Martian, Dr. Roquette has located the Fog. Reconfigure the bio ship so Robin and Superboy can follow it," Aqualad ordered. Robin jumped up, slapping Wally and Sakura on the hands as he left.

"Good luck," Wally smiled.

"Make something explode for me," the pinkette requested.

"If reasonably possible," Robin answered, closing the door behind him.

"Ready," M'gann announced.

"I'm going to keep an out outside," Wally told Aqualad and Sakura.

"Sure, we can handle the good doctor in here," Sakura nodded.

"Keep a sharp eye out," Kaldur ordered.

"Uh, given," Wally muttered, exiting the room. Kaldur sighed and rubbed his forehead. He felt his hand being pulled away and Sakura placed hers on his head.

"Don't worry. He's just in a mood. He'll listen," Sakura assured him. "Feel better?"

"Yes, thank you," Kaldur nodded, feeling his brain clear up.

"No problem Aqualad. It's what I do," Sakura smiled, lowering her hand. She walked back over to the desk and sat on it, keeping her ears and eyes open for an attack. The door quietly opened and a shuriken was thrown at Serling. Aqualad jumped in front of it and growled.

"Doctor, get down!" he ordered. He jumped in front of her once more and pushed the doctor down.

"Mmm, that had to hurt," a masked girl smirked, walking into the room and taking out two sai swords.

"Atlantean skin is very tough," Aqualad answered, taking out his water bearers.

"And my shuriken are quiet poisonous," the woman smirked. She ducked her head to avoid a flying kunai. Sakura was crouched on the desk, several kunai out.

"Haven't you learned anything? Never let your guard down," the pinkette growled, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, so you're like me, are you?" The masked girl smirked, holding up her sai.

"No, I'm a whole lot better," Sakura growled, lunging at her. Sakura swung her kunai around, trying to hit her, but the woman blocked them with her swords. "Let me guess, you're just a mercenary for hire, not a real shinobi."

"How'd you guess?" the woman taunted, swinging her sai.

"Only a coward wears a mask," Sakura shouted, kicking her leg up. The woman caught it and slammed her sword into Sakura's leg. The pinkette let out a gasp of pain and was kicked in the head, sending her flying. The ninja turned around, throwing her other sai. Aqualad swung his water sword, deflecting it.

"Almost," she hummed as it missed Serling by an inch. Aqualad jumped at the enemy, and she pulled out two small knives. "Poison slowing you down yet?"

"Jellyfish toxin," Kaldur smirked "I'm largely immune." She spun around and kicked him in the back.

"Stop right there, little girl," She smirked, throwing one of her knives at Sakura. The pinkette, who had raised her hand with another kunai, froze when the knife flew through her skin, and stuck to the wall behind her, pinning her there. The assassin turned to face Serling, raising her other weapon. It was knocked out of her hand by an arrow.

"Don't move," Artemis growled lowly.

"This gig's getting interesting," the woman hummed, taking out a collapsible sword. She sliced and deflected every arrow that Artemis shot. M'gann and Wally flew into the room, making the assassin stop. "Maybe a little two interesting. She took out a smoke bomb and threw it at the ground, just as Wally ran towards her. He ran into Artemis, who caught herself before they could both fall. Wally gasped and backed up, turning back to the assassin, only to find her gone.

"She's getting away!" Serling shouted. "How can you let her get away?"

"She won't be, not for long," Sakura groaned, ripping the swords out of her body. She coughed up blood and groaned, pushing herself off of the wall. Wally rushed forward to help the pinkette steady herself.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, just give me a moment," The pinkette nodded, rubbing her head. "I think her boots had steel toes or something." She tried to stand up and fell into Wally's arms once more. "Okay, more than a minute," she whispered, taking deep breaths.

"This is all your fault," Wally shouted at the blonde archer. "You were doing perimeter, how could you let that shadow slip in?"

"That isn't fair," M'gann protested. "I was outside as well. I'm to be blamed for letting the shadow get in, not just her."

"Yeah well, you were being distracted by her!" Wally shouted, pointing at Artemis. "Besides, I could never be mad at you," he smiled sheepishly at the Martian. "You gave me mouth to mouth."

"We heard that!"

"Dang it," Wally growled, hanging his head. He turned back to sakura and looked at her wounds. "Hey, you going to be alright?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," Sakura nodded, pressing an arm against her wrist. "I just need a minute or two to heal."

"Unfortunately, we don't have a minute or two," Aqualad told them. "The shadows know where we are."

"Robin to Aqualad," Robin's called through the communicators. "We're over Philadelphia now. We've also located the next target. But, we're too late. S.T.A.R. labs has been destroyed, totally and completely decimated."

"This is bad," Sakura panted. "S.T.A.R. labs was one of the leaders in cutting edge science. If the Fog was there, then the enemy just gained some very valuable information."

"What do we do now?" Robin asked.

"Scan for the Fog again, we're moving the doctor," Aqualad ordered.


	11. Chapter 11

Sakura sat on the desk, looking around the room with shifting eyes.

"Can you stop doing that? It's making me nervous," Serling told her.

"Look, do you want to be protected or not?" Sakura huffed, rubbing her head. There was a knock at the door and Aqualad quickly came, closing the door. "Aqualad, are you alright?" Sakura asked, rushing over to him.

"I'm fine," the Atlantean nodded. "Doctor, how far have you gotten?"

"I'm almost done. I just need a few minutes," Serling answered, typing away.

"Type faster," Sakura groaned. "Miss Martian could reveal the truth any moment."

"Look, do you want mistakes?" Serling asked harshly as she continued to type.

"Oh, I knew we should have waited for her to finish the virus before tracking Fog," Sakura groaned, rubbing her head.

"I've almost got it," Serling announced. Aqualad looked outside the internet café, keeping an eye out for an attack. Sakura's head snapped to the ceiling and she took out two kunais. A moment later they heard a bang coming from the ceiling.

"We have company," Aqualad warned Roquette.

"If you could finish that would be great," Sakura told her.

"Uploading the virus to Robin now," Serling announced. "And by the way, you said you would protect me.

"We will," Sakura shouted, narrowing her eyes. A ball rolled into the room, and gave off smoke. "Something isn't right with this picture…" she muttered narrowing her eyes. Aqualad and Sakura both turned around, glaring up at the ceiling. Three small darts slammed into Kaldur's skin.

"Let's test your immunity now," the assassin teased. Kaldur ran towards her, swinging his water swords. The masked woman skillfully dodged each strike. She quickly delivered a roundhouse kick to his head, causing Kaldur to slam into the ground. He groaned and let go of his bearers, stopping his sorcery. "There, limits tested. You're welcome." She back flipped and avoided a kunai Sakura sent her way.

"Have you forgotten about me already?" Sakura asked, narrowing her eyes.

"The little ninja girl, how could I forget about you and your pink hair?" the opponent answered, sliding into a fighting stance, taking out two more sai swords. Sakura followed her lead and the two stared at each other for a moment, a tense silence filling the room. The two rushed forward at the same moment, swinging their blades at each other. Sakura ducked and slashed at her stomach, disappointed when her blade didn't draw blood. "There's armor under this dress. I'm not stupid." Sakura was punched in the head and was sent flying back. But the pinkette flipped onto her feet, throwing her kunais. The assassin ducked to the side and took out several darts, throwing them at the pinkette. Sakura flipped through the air, dodging them all. Her eyes widened when she felt one pierce the back of her shoulder. "Never take your eyes off of your opponent," a voice whispered in her ear, wrapping her arms around Sakura from behind. The pinkette gasped as the dart dug into her skin. "Oh, am I hurting you? My bad," the woman chuckled, harshly taking out the dart. She took out a sai sword and placed it on Sakura's neck. "Since you're like me, I don't have to feel bad for killing you and not my target." She whispered.

"You'll never kill me," Sakura groaned, her breathing becoming labored.

"You sure you want to test that theory?" The woman smirked, aiming the sai sword for Sakura's stomach.

"Go ahead and try, do your worst," Sakura goaded. "I'm simply buying time." She could feel the assassin stiffen and she looked over at the computer, seeing that the virus had finished uploading.

"So, the virus has finished, thus, eliminating the need for the good doctor's elimination. However, that does not erase the entertainment value I'm getting out of this. My orders are clear. Kill Roquette before she finishes the virus. The virus is done, and I have no reason to kill her. The Shadows may find another use for her. But I was never given any orders concerning a young, pink haired ninja," she whispered, dragging the blade of the sai against Sakura's stomach. The pinkette gasped as her skin was slowly sliced open, creating a trail of blood. "I would so love to watch you die, but I must be going, so I'll leave you with a parting gift." Sakura gasped as the sai slammed into her stomach, creating three holes. She was pushed to the ground, and the assassin quickly left.

"Oh no!" Serling gasped, rushing over to her. She rolled the pinkette over, staring at her wound in horror. Sakura turned her head and spat out some blood.

"Wrap it, use my scarf," Sakura ordered. "Put pressure on the wound using my scarf; don't remove it for even a second."

"Right," Serling, nodded, quickly taking the scarf off the girl. She placed the cloth over her stomach. "It won't stop," she gasped, watching the scarf soak up the blood.

"Add another layer," Sakura ordered. "Use your lab coat." Serling nodded and hastily took her coat on, keeping a hand on the scarf while she did so. Aqualad groaned sat up slowly, rubbing his head.

"Help! Please!" Serling shouted at him. Aqualad looked over at them and quickly ran over to Sakura, while taking the darts out of his chest. "It won't stop! The bleeding just won't stop!"

"Dr. Roquette, calm down!" Aqualad ordered. "Kunoichi, do you have any gauze bandages?"

"Yeah, on my right; the second one from the center." Sakura nodded weakly. Aqualad quickly took it out, unwrapping it.

"Why isn't she healing herself? I saw her heal herself!" Serling asked in terror, watching her lab coat become red as it soaked up the blood.

"The poison, it's messing with my chakra system," Sakura answered. "I can't get it to the wound."

"Dr. Roquette, you're going to have to lift the cloth, very slowly," Aqualad ordered. He placed the gauze next to it and nodded, for Roquette to move the cloth, wrapping the wound and covering it immediately.

"Is everything alright in here?" Artemis asked, rushing in with Wally and M'gann.

"Pinky!" Wally shouted, running over to them, he dropped the mask that was in his hand, the mask that the assassin had worn. "What happened?"

"Is she alright?" M'gann asked quickly.

"It's nothing, I was just stabbed by that bitch," Sakura answered quietly, her eyes closing. "I feel so tired."

"Hey, stay with us, Pinky," Wally shouted, grabbing her hand. "Come on, you have to stay awake!"

"I know…" Sakura whispered. "But I feel so tired, and I'm feeling colder."

"Robin, we need you to get here now," Aqualad ordered, placing a blood covered hand on his communicator to turn it on.

"Why? What's wrong?" Robin asked, hearing the stress in his leader's voice.

"Just get here, now!" Aqualad shouted.

"We're on our way," Robin assured him.

"Hey, did you hear that?" Wally asked, stroking Sakura's sweat covered face. "Rob's on his way."

"Birdie's coming…?" Sakura asked, turning her pale face to look at him. "Will he get here in time?"

"Don't talk like that," M'gann ordered. Sakura nodded weakly and began to close her eyes.

"Hey, stay awake," Artemis told her. Sakura opened her green eyes halfway, staring at nothing in particular.

"I have the wound dressed, but she has lost a lot of blood," Aqualad told them. "And she has been poisoned as well, that is not a good combination."

"Can't we rush her to the hospital or something?" Serling asked.

"No, that would give away our secret identity," Wally answered. "And even if we went in as our secret IDs how are we supposed to properly explain this without raising any suspicion?"

"Kid, I need you to rush back to HQ and get Sakura into the med bay, now," Aqualad ordered.

"Do you think I can make it there on time?" Wally asked.

"I know you can make it there," Aqualad nodded. "Just go, now! And be careful with her." Wally nodded and gently picked her up, frowning over how light she had become. He ran off, going towards the mountain. Aqualad looked around the room and spotted Wally's discarded mask. "Is that her mask? Who knocked it off of her?"

"I did," Artemis answered.

"Did you see her face?" Kaldur questioned.

"No…" the female archer whispered. "It was…too dark."

"That's alright. Robin and Superboy have destroyed the Fog, and we got away with minimal injuries. Dr. Roquette is safe, thanks, in no small part, to you. You did good. Welcome to the team," Aqualad smiled.

"What about Kunoichi? She could be dying!" Artemis shouted.

"Kid Flash will get her to the mountain on time, and she will be fine. She is a fighter," Kaldur assured her. Artemis sighed softly, thinking about the pinkette.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What happened?" Robin shouted in panic, seeing Sakura on the hospital bed. He ran over to his pink haired friend, grabbing her hand.

"She was stabbed in the stomach," Black Canary answered. "And shortly before that, she was poisoned. She's lost a lot of blood, but we've managed to replenish her and give her an antidote."

"Is she going to be alright?" Robin asked in fear. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his mentor.

"She's going to be fine," Batman assured him. "Aqualad said that Sakura instructed Dr. Roquette on how to stop the bleeding. Once Aqualad had awoken, he quickly dressed the wound, and told Kid Flash to bring her here. He got here just in time. She just needs to rest for a few days." Robin turned back to Sakura, gripping her hand.

"I should have been there to help her," Robin muttered. "I'm the one that works best with her. Did Cherī even come out to fight?"

"No, but I think she was trying to bring her out," Black Canary answered. "Dr. Roquette said Sakura was daring the assassin to kill her. But, by the time she was stabbed, the poison had worn her down and Cherī couldn't take over and fight. She tried to get Cherī out but failed." The blonde woman walked closer, placing a hand on Robin's other shoulder. "She'll be fine. She's a fighter; she wouldn't give up like this."

"Alright," Robin nodded, rubbing his thumb against Sakura's hand. "Have the others seen her?"

"They couldn't deal with looking at her," Canary answered with a sigh. "Not after seeing her in that condition. They just wanted to know if she was alright. After I told them the news, they went to bed."

"Come on, I think you need some sleep as well kid," Batman sighed, guiding him out of the room.

"But, Batman," he protested weakly.

"Robin, you need it," Batman told him sternly. Robin took one last look at the pinkette before nodding. Canary looked over the machines hooked up to Sakura, and nodded to herself before leaving the room and the sleeping pinkette.


	12. Chapter 12

Sakura sighed as she leaned against the wall inside the main room. Kaldur and Superboy were currently inside the sparring ring, circling each other.

Training match to start in 3, 2, 1

The buzzer went off and Kaldur and Superboy attacked each other, but Sakura quickly zoomed out.

"So, Kaldur's kinda cool, isn't he?" Artemis smiled as she and M'gann approached the pinkette. "He's handsome, dominant, and not bad to look at. You should totally ask him out," the blonde smiled, turning next to Martian.

"No, Kaldur's like a big brother," M'gann protested.

"M'gann should ask Superboy out," Sakura smiled, watching the green skinned girl blush. "You know, after we explain to him what a date is."

"Oh, you and Superboy," Artemis smirked, elbowing her. "Good call, Sak."

"Oh, no, you know who would make the cutest couple," M'gann smiled, turning to the archer. "You and Wally."

"Yes," Sakura agreed.

"No way," Artemis protested.

"Oh come on," M'gann pressed. "You're so full of passion and he's so full of…" the Martian trailed off, watching Wally scarf down a burrito while watching the fight.

"It?" Artemis supplied.

"And food," Sakura nodded. The three girls laughed in agreement.

"Oh no, I know exactly who would make the cutest couple," Artemis smirked, turning towards the pinkette. M'gann's eyes lit up and she looked at Sakura as well. "You and the Boy Wonder Robin!"

"What? Me and Birdie?" Sakura asked in shock, feeling her face heat up.

"Oh! You're blushing," M'gann gasped. "That's so cute!"

"Totally," Artemis nodded in agreement, "on both counts. You are adorable, and you and Robin would make the cutest couple ever!"

"Why me and Birdie?" Sakura asked, pressing her back up against the wall as M'gann and Artemis closed in on her.

"First off, when you got hurt on the last mission, Batman had to drag him away to get some sleep," Artemis told her, making the pinkette blush.

"And then there's the fact that you two work so well together," M'gann nodded.

"Yeah, because we both trained together for a while," Sakura nodded.

"That reminds me, you told me that you and Robin hated each other at first," M'gann suddenly remembered. "What changed?"

"Uh…well, Robin would have to approve of me saying what exactly changed, because it involves him as well," Sakura answered, blushing.

"Oh, it's gotta be something good," Artemis gasped. "Tell us! What happened?"

"I can't!" Sakura protested.

Fail Aqualad

The three girls turned to the fight to see Aqualad on the floor and Superboy standing in victory.

"Black Canary taught me that move," he boasted, helping the leader up.

"Kaldur!" Sakura cried, flipping over the girls, who tried to quickly grab her back. "They won't leave me alone about Birdie! Make them stop!" She ran over to the Atlantean and hid behind his back like a little child.

"Do not harass Sakura," Kaldur told them, placing a hand on her head.

"We were just wondering why Robin and Sakura stopped hating each other," Artemis muttered in defense.

"Stop hating each other?" Superboy asked in confusion, looking at the physically youngest team member. "You two are always so in synch. I wasn't aware that you hated each other."

"It was when they first met," Wally explained. "Sakura loved the rules, and Robin thought she was boring. Batman locked them in a room together after getting tired of their fighting and wouldn't let them out until they sorted through their problems."

"That's what you were so embarrassed to say?" M'gann asked in confusion.

"No, the embarrassing part would be that Batman left them there over night, so they woke up cuddling next to each other and Naruto, her teammate, had a camera and was taking pictures," Wally answered.

"Wally!" Sakura shouted, her face turning red.

"Oh, that is adorable!" M'gann giggled.

"Knew you two would make the cutest couple," Artemis smirked. "Are there any pictures left? Where can I find them?"

"Kaldur-nii-chan, make them stop," Sakura pouted, looking up at the older teen. To add more effect, she wrapped her arms around his torso and sniffed, tears forming in her eyes. Kaldur sighed and looked at the girls.

"What, we were just curious," Artemis shrugged.

"We'll make it up to you," M'gann smiled.

"Promise," Sakura muttered, looking at them nervously.

"Promise," M'gann nodded. She looked at Artemis who huffed and nodded as well.

"Alright, you're paying for ice cream next time," Sakura smiled.

"Huh?" Artemis asked.

"Yes, it is a bit of a tradition for us to go for ice cream after a mission," Kaldur nodded.

"Sakura wanted ice cream after the first mission, but we couldn't go because her shoes were ruined. You know, no shirt, no shoes, no service," Wally muttered. "After the second mission, we went to the store to buy ice cream since the shops were closed. After that we just kept getting ice cream to celebrate."

"We didn't do that over a week ago for obvious reasons," Superboy said, nodding at Sakura.

"Oh yes, how are your wounds?" M'gann asked. Sakura pulled up her shirt, while keeping a hold on Kaldur, just in case.

"Healed and nonexistent! I am ready for a mission!" she smiled. Just as she said that the hatch on the ceiling opened up and Red Tornado flew to the ground, walking past them. Wally raced in front of him, smiling.

"Hey! Do you have a mission for us?" the speedster asked excitedly.

"Assigning missions are the Batman's responsibility," Red Tornado told them.

"Yeah well, the Batman and the Robin are off in Gotham doing the dynamic duo thing; have been ever since our last mission 10 days ago. Batman could have sworn Robin was acting crazy over Sakura's injuries and thought it would be best for him to attack bad guys instead," Wally reminded him.

"Wally! No he wasn't!" Sakura blushed, glaring at the red head.

"Anyway! You're going somewhere aren't you?" Wally asked, turning back to the android. "A hot date or maybe a mission; what do ya say?"

"If we can be of service," Kaldur said firmly.

"This is Kent Nelson, a friend," Red Tornado said, activating the holoscreen and pulling up a picture of an old man. "He is 106 years old."

"That's a lot of birthday candles," Sakura muttered, letting go of Kaldur.

"He has been missing for 23 days," Red Tornado told them. "He was a member of the Justice Society, the predecessor to the Justice League." A new picture came up of a man in golden armor wearing a golden helmet.

"Of course, Kent Nelson was Earth's supreme sorcerer. He's Doctor Fate!" Aqualad exclaimed in realization.

"The Doctor Fate?" Sakura asked in shock. She glanced at Wally and saw him whispering quietly to Artemis, who did look a little interested in what he had to say.

"Kent may be on one of his, walks. But he is the guardian and caretaker of the Helmet of Fate, the source of the Doctor's power. It is unwise to leave such power unprotected," Red Tornado told them.

"He's like the great sorcerer priests and priestesses of Mars," M'gann smiled. "I would be honor to help find him."

"Me too!" Wally said quickly, throwing his hand in the air. Sakura scoffed quietly and rolled her eyes. "So honored I can barely stand it. Magic rocks."

"Take this," Red Tornado said, holding up a key. "It is the key to the Tower of Fate." Kaldur nodded and accepted the key, placing it in his pocket.

"What are the chances we both, love the mystic and magic arts?" Wally smirked, looking at M'gann.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, Wally, when did you first love magic?" Artemis asked after a few minutes of silence in the bioship.

"Well, I-I don't like to brag but, before becoming Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a sorcerer myself," Wally answered, leaning back in his seat. Sakura rolled her eyes and shared a knowing look with Artemis.

"We've reached the coordinates given by Red Tornado," M'gann announced.

"There's nothing here," Superboy noted, seeing that it was a dark and deserted town.

"It's like a ghost town," Sakura whispered, shivering.

"Take us down," Kaldur ordered. M'gann landed the ship and they exited, looking around. "Wally, look around," Kaldur ordered. The red head nodded and sped off, looking around. Wally came back a moment.

"Nothing, I couldn't find anything," Wally announced. "And it isn't simple camouflage. There's just no tower anywhere."

"So, what do you think?" Artemis asked quietly. "Adaptive micro-optic-electronics combined with phase shifters?"

"Absolutely," Wally agreed. "Not!" he added quickly when M'gann stepped up to them. "Clearly mystic powers are at work here!"

"A test of faith," Kaldur muttered, taking out the key. "Stand behind me."

"Wait," Sakura called. "If the Doctor was taken, he could be here. What if we're being watched?" The Atlantean walked in front of the group and held the key out, twisting it. They heard the sound of a door unlocking, and a giant tower appeared out of nowhere.

"We have to protect the helmet," Aqualad answered, entering the tower.

"Creepy," Sakura shivered. "We walked right through that thing." The rest of the group followed and they entered an empty room.

"Uh…what happened to the door?" Superboy asked. Sakura placed her hands on the wall, feeling around.

"It's not here. It just disappeared," Sakura told them. A holographic image appeared, showing Kent Nelson.

"Greetings, you have entered using the key. But the Tower does not recognize you. Please state your purpose and intent," he ordered.

"We are true believers. We're here to find Doctor Fate," Wally answered. The hologram disappeared and the floor collapsed below them, sending them towards a pit of lava. M'gann quickly grabbed Wally, and tried to keep them afloat. Artemis shot her hidden crossbow and swung, catching Kaldur. Superboy and Sakura both flipped, grabbing onto the wall. The pinkette pumped her chakra into her hands and slowed to a stop, gripping the rocks. Superboy clawed at the rocks and placed his feet down, trying to stop as well. He screamed in pain as his feet were submerged in the lava. He quickly took them out, glaring at his now bare feet.

"Those were my favorite boots," he growled, glaring at the lava. "This Nelson guy better be worth it."

"Well, at least we know you can withstand lava now," Sakura told him. She moved her hand to try and climb up the wall but gasped when the rocks gave out.

"Sak!" Artemis shouted in horror. Superboy held out a hand and grabbed her, pulling her close before she could hit the lava. The clone grunted as the force of the impact made him slide down closer to the lava. He pulled his feet up a little more, to where they weren't centimeters above the lava.

"Thanks Superboy," the pinkette breathed in relief.

"No problem," the clone nodded. Sakura placed her hands on the wall, trying to summon her chakra and climb back up again.

"I can't do anything! My chakra won't come! And the rocks are too hot for me to grip for a long period of time!" She shouted at the team.

"I'm having trouble maintaining altitude," M'gann said, wiping the sweat off of her forehead. "I'm so hot."

"You sure are," Wally agreed.

"WALLY!" Sakura and Artemis shouted in anger.

"Hey! I am inches above a sizzling death! I am entitled to speak my mind!" the speedster defended quickly.

"Okay, if that's how you wanna play," Sakura growled, glaring up at him. "I'm entitled to one last taunt! Wally wet his bed until he was six!"

"I did not!" Wally shouted, his cheeks turning pink.

"Oh ho, you do not want to play that game with me!" Sakura shouted.

"We have to focus!" Kaldur shouted. "M'gann and I, our physiologies are susceptible to heat. We have to climb out."

"Hello Megan," M'gann panted, lightly hitting her forehead. "We never truly answered the question. We were sent by Red Tornado to see if Mr. Nelson, and the helmet were safe!" She shouted. The lava was covered by an iron platform and Superboy stepped on it, letting Sakura down. M'gann and Wally both fell to the metal, the Martian female panting. Artemis lowered herself and Kaldur, and the group caught their breath.

"This platform, it should be hot, but it is cold," Kaldur observed, pressing his hand against it.

"Don't worry, Megalicious, I gotcha," Wally smiled, helping her stand up.

"Enough!" Artemis shouted, pushing Wally into the wall. "You're little 'impress Megan at all costs' game nearly got us all barbecued!"

"When did this become my fault?" Wally protested.

"Ever since we were given this mission!" Sakura declared. "You've been saying that you believe in magic, and you are a 'true believer'! We all know that that is a bunch of bullshit you were speaking to try and impress M'gann! You have been mocking magic ever since the cave and we're tired of it!"

"Wally? Is that true?" M'gann asked. "You don't believe?"

"Fine! FINE!" The speedster shouted. "I lied! Big deal! Besides, magic is the real lie! It's just a…pardon my French, load of shit!"

"Wally, I studied for a year at Atlantis's Conservatory of Sorcery. The mystic arts are what gives me the icons on my skin, and what powers my water bearers," Aqualad told him.

"Dude, have you ever heard of bioelectricity?" Wally asked. "Fire was once considered magic, but we all know that it's just a bunch of tricks!"

"What about me, huh?" Sakura asked. "If magic doesn't exist, then why is my sister living in my body able to take control of it when I'm in danger! It was a magic spell that my parents tried because they were that desperate to have her back! HELL! My chakra could be considered magic!"

"You're pretty closed minded for a guy with superpowers!" Artemis shouted in anger. "You can break the sound barrier in your sneakers!"

"That's science!" Wally huffed. "I recreated the laboratory experiment that gave Flash his powers and would you look at that, here I am now!"

"Let us test that theory," Aqualad smirked, gripping a handle on the platform.

"Don't! The back draft from the lava will roast us alive!" Wally warned him. Kaldur smirked and opened the hatch. A blast of cool air came out, along with white flecks dancing around.

"Its snow," M'gann smiled.

"After the lava pit, this feels nice," Sakura smiled, leaning next to the opening. She let out a sigh of content as the cold air hit her face and cooled her off.

"Do you ever get tired of being wrong?" Artemis smirked.


	13. Chapter 13

"Well? What do you have to say now?" Artemis smirked, gesturing to the cold mountain they were on.

"Haven't you ever heard of the string theory? We're in a pocket dimension," Wally answered. Artemis let out a huff of frustration, and turned around, storming to the group.

"What's that?" M'gann asked, pointing to a staff.

"Maybe its Nelson's magic wand," Wally muttered sarcastically.

"Careful, don't touch it," Sakura warned them, just as Wally and Artemis grabbed it.

"I got it!" They shouted. "Hey! I can't let go!" The two of them were lifted in the sky and disappeared in a flash of light.

"You don't what could happen," the pinkette finished with a sigh. "Why do I even bother? You guys never listen to me anyways! What does it have something to do with the fact that I'm 12? That I'm younger than you?" Sakura asked, glaring at them. "Newsflash, Superboy is just a few months old and yet you still listen to what he has to say despite the fact that he's actually the youngest! You guys never listen to me!"

"Hey, we listened," Superboy growled, glaring at her. "And don't you dare bring that up again."

"Calm down, both of you," Kaldur ordered, pushing them away from each other. "We need to find an exit."

"Why don't we just keep walking?" Sakura asked. "If this is a magic tower, an opening will appear when we've travelled far enough and we're where the place wants us to be. Or are you going to ignore that as well?"

"That's a great idea," M'gann smiled, taking the pinkette's arm. "Let's get to walking." The group began walking in a random direction. "I don't get Wally," M'gann sighed after a few minutes of silence. "It's almost like he's forcing himself not to believe. Like he doesn't want to know that the impossible really is possible."

"Wally uses his knowledge of science to explain and control what he cannot comprehend. If he acknowledged magic's existence, then he would be giving up that control," Kaldur explained.

"But, I don't get why it's so hard to believe in magic," Sakura sighed. "A few years ago aliens were considered to be on the same level as magic, something fantastic and nonexistent. Yet, we have a girl from Mars right here. If aliens exist, why can't magic." The group stopped when they heard wood creaking. They turned towards a small mountain and saw stairs leading up to a door. "See! What did I tell ya?" Sakura smirked, gesturing to the door. They ran up to the door and Superboy opened it, falling through. Aqualad followed after him. M'gann and Sakura both looked inside and saw that the door led to a ceiling. The pinkette smirked and flipped through the door, landing on her feet. M'gann floated through the door, landing softly. "You should really watch where you're going next time," Sakura smirked. Artemis smiled and ran over to them.

"You guys okay?"

"We're fine," Superboy grunted, sitting up. Lighting shot past them, making them jump apart. Sakura looked up and saw two men standing perfectly upright on the wall. One she knew was Abra Cadbra. The other, was holding a cat and looked like a gothic catholic school boy. Sakura growled and took her utility belt out of her pocket. She took out two kunai and threw them, at Abra Cadabra. A bell rang throughout the arena. Everyone looked over and saw Kent drag Wally through a large golden bell.

"NO!" The schoolboy shouted, flying into the bell as well. Sakura ran towards the bell but was stopped when lightning collided with her body. Sakura screamed as the lighting consumed her like a net and she fell to the ground.

"Kunoichi!" Kaldur shouted. He took out his hidden water bearers and ran at him, swinging a giant mace. Abra jumped off the wall, and flipped onto their level, shooting a lightning net at Kaldur, and trapping him as well. Superboy rushed towards him, swinging his fists. Abra grunted as on connected with his jaw, sending him flying, but he quickly raised his wand, catching him in an electrical net.

"Miss Martian! Call Wally!" Artemis shouted, firing arrows at Abra.

"On it!" M'gann nodded, placing her fingers on her temples. Artemis yelped in pain as she was encased in an electric net as well. M'gann finished her plea to Wally just as Abra caught her as well.

"That wasn't so hard," Abra smirked, walking closer to them. "And people make such a big deal out of you, pathetic," Abra sighed.

"Hey!" Sakura called darkly, hissing in pain as she heaved herself up.

"Oh, looks like you're a fighter," Abra smirked. He pointed his wand and shot her with more lightning, making the pinkette keel over in pain.

"Don't hurt her!" Kaldur shouted.

"Or what?" Abra smirked, walking towards the female ninja. He flicked his wand once more, And Sakura let out a scream of pain.

"Stop it!" Kaldur shouted.

"Why should I?" Abra taunted. He stood above the pinkette, increasing the strength of his attack. Sakura let out a scream of pain, and coughed up blood.

"Sakura!" Kaldur shouted in horror.

"Oh, I see," Abra smirked. "You must have feelings for her, how sweet."

"Think again," the Atlantean replied with a smirk of his own. Abra looked back at the pinkette, and saw an older girl with dark pink hair and amber eyes. The girl had her arms crossed glaring at him.

"No feelings from the Atlantean," Cherī told him."Just an older sister." The dark pinkette punched Abra in the jaw, sending him flying back. Cherī jumped over to Abra, landing on the staircase on the wall. She rushed towards him, dodging each blast. Cherī flipped through the air and kicked him in the skull, sending him back to the first floor with her teammates. Abra growled and turned around, sending a lightning net her way. Cherī growled and jumped off the platform, going towards him. Abra took the chance and shot her with electricity making the teen girl cry out in pain. Cherī fell to the ground panting, and Abra smirked, walking closer to them. An Ankh symbol appeared behind Abra, and the magician quickly found himself without his wand, or clothes. The teens stood up, and Superboy glared at the phony.

"Shows over," he growled, punching him in the face. Abra groaned and fell back, unconscious.

\----------------------------------------------------------

"So, how was the mission?" Bruce asked as he, Dick, Tsunade and Sakura sat around the dinner table in the Wayne manor.

"It was fine," Sakura shrugged. "Wally almost got us burned alive for saying he was a 'true believer'."

"What kind of mission did you go on?" Tsunade asked.

"We went to find and protect the Helmet of Fate," Sakura answered. "When Wally told the tower that he believed in magic, the floor caved out from under us and sent us towards a pit of lava."

"Ouch," Dick winced. "Wait, why do you get the fun missions when I'm gone?"

"Yeah, Superboy needs a new pair of boots," Sakura nodded, taking a bite of her steak. "And how should I know that? Red Tornado needed help and we offered."

"Dick, are you ready for school to start?" Bruce asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," the boy sighed. "First day of freshman year. I think it'll go great." Sakura covered up her smirk with a glass of water.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you," Tsunade told the pinkette. Sakura slowly lowered her glass and stared at her teacher in confusion.

"What do you mean?" the pinkette asked.

"I didn't visit just to check up on your progress," Tsunade answered.

"You'll be joining Dick at Gotham Academy," Bruce answered.

"What?" The pinkette screeched in shock. Dick snorted and laughed at her. "Shut it, Birdie!" The pinkette warned, glaring at him. "Lady Tsunade! Why am I going to school? I already completed my education back at the village."

"That is true," Tsunade agreed, taking a sip of her wine. "But, what you failed to do was go to a real school. You graduated from Konoha Academy, because it was teaching you how to become a shinobi and protect your village. You need to go to school, and get a real education."

"I have a real education," Sakura protested. "Ask me anything and I can give you an answer!"

"Sakura, Tsunade doesn't doubt that you're smart," Bruce told her. "But you do have to go to school, a real school."

'I know you don't want to return to the village, so you have to play by the rules the states give," Tsunade told her. "That includes going to high school."

"Well, at least their putting you in Gotham Academy," Dick shrugged, after calming his laughter.

"Does this mean I have to move out of the mountain and into the manor?" Sakura huffed, drumming her fingers on the table.

"You don't have to, no," Bruce answered. "But, I won't object."

"Fine," Sakura sighed, giving in. "I'll go to school."

"And don't even think about getting yourself kicked out," Tsunade warned. "Not only will that reflect badly on Wayne-san, but you will just be placed in a different school. And I will come and give you hell."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," Sakura muttered, taking a bite of her food. "But I won't make any promises. A school filled with a bunch of rich and elite brats, I'll try my best not to punch one of them out."

"That's the best they can get, isn't it?" Dick smirked.

"Yep," Sakura nodded, pushing her mashed potatoes around.

"Well, I can deal with that," Tsunade sighed, "as long as you really try. Besides, I thought you would be happy. You get to go to school with Dick."

"Yeah…I guess…" Sakura muttered, looking away with a small blush.

"Come on, I'll make sure no one picks on you and keep you under control," Dick smirked, pulling her into a sideways hug. "I can even introduce you to Barbra."

"Alright," Sakura sighed, giving in once more. "So, when does it start?"

"Next Monday," Bruce answered.

"I'm going to have to wear a uniform, aren't I?" Sakura asked.

"Yep," Tsunade nodded.

"Great," Sakura groaned. "Let the torture begin."


	14. Chapter 14

The group entered through the zeta tube sadly, tracking mud as they entered the main room of Mount Justice. They had been in Gotham, fighting with Clayface, but the monster had beaten them fairly easily.

"I need to talk to Aqualad. The rest of you, hit the showers and go home," Batman ordered.

"Go home?" Superboy scoffed quietly. "I am home." Sakura walked towards the door but stopped when she realized Robin wasn't following them.

"Just Aqualad," Batman said sternly. Sakura watched Robin walk away from the two, meeting up with the pinkette.

"Come on, it's probably nothing," Sakura whispered. Robin didn't respond, and the pinkette could tell that he was upset. "Hey, I finished packing. I could use some help getting my stuff to your house."

"Yeah, sure," Robin muttered, walking ahead of her.

"Hey," M'gann smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. Sakura jumped at the contact.

"Sorry M'gann. I didn't hear you coming," Sakura apologized.

"I floated," M'gann smiled. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Robin," Sakura sighed, loosely crossing her arms. "Batman doesn't normally keep him out of things."

"I'm sure he just needs some time to cool off," M'gann assured her. "Come on, let's shower. I don't know about you, but I want to get this mud off."

"Actually, there's a spa treatment called a mud bath. It relaxes the body, and has been said to treat a number of ailments," Sakura told her as they entered the locker room.

"I didn't know that," M'gann smiled.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura sighed as she sat down on the soft queen sized bed. The sheets were cream colored and were smooth and soft to the touch. She looked around the room, taking all of it in. The walls were plain white, with no decorations. The room had a desk made of oak. On it was a sleek laptop. There was a walk in closet that Sakura hadn't been able to fill even half-way. There was a door that led to an impressive bathroom. In a corner of the room was a few bookcases filled with her medical books. There were two plush wingback chairs next to the bookcases, creating a comfortable mini library. In another corner of the room was a giant TV with two pink butterfly chairs Sakura had added to try and bring color into the room. The pinkette stood up and went to the door, opening it and peering into the hallways. She may had stayed in the Wayne manor when she and her team were sent to Batman by Kakashi, but that didn't make the gothic styled house any less creepy to her.

Sakura ran through the hallways, heading down for the gym, where she knew Dick would be. She came to the double doors and peered through the windows, seeing Dick swing on the rings. He flipped through the air, landing on a pedestal. Dick swung his arms as he lost balance, falling backwards. He quickly curved his body so he was flipping onto the ground, and flipped back upwards, stumbling backwards into the wall. Dick stayed still for a moment before swinging his arm, punching a small crater into the concrete wall.

"Birdie," Sakura gasped, rushing into the room. She ran over to him and took his hand.

"I'm fine, no blood," Dick sighed, taking his hand back. He grabbed a towel, swinging it over his shoulders and took a water bottle, opening it and taking a gulp.

"Birdie, please," Sakura asked, sitting next to him. The Boy Wonder sighed and held out his hand. Sakura gently took it and saw that his knuckles were starting to turn purple. "I know you're stronger than most boys your age, but you have to be careful," the pinkette sighed, placing her hand over his. She concentrated her chakra, making the bruises disappear. "Why are you so upset with Bruce talking to Kaldur alone?"

"I'm not," Dick defended, taking his hand back. Sakura frowned at his behavior and sighed, looking at the ground in sadness.

"Dick, you can't hide things from me," Sakura whispered, gently taking his hand. "I know you too well."

"Okay, maybe I am a little upset about Bruce wanting to talk to Kaldur alone," Dick grumbled. "What's the big deal?"

"Dick, Bruce is like your father, and I can guarantee that he thinks of you like a son. Talking to Kaldur was probably nothing. Kaldur is our leader after all. Maybe Batman was scolding him on how we performed," Sakura suggested.

"He would have talked to all of us if that was true," Dick grumbled, standing up and placing his hands on his head. "But no, it was just Kaldur!"

"Well, maybe it had to do with Kaldur's performance. Didn't he seem a little, I don't know, out of it, to you?" Sakura asked. "He didn't seem like he was focused."

"Yeah, I guess," Dick sighed. Sakura stood up and offered him a small smile. "Thanks Sakura." The acrobat pulled her into a hug, and the pinkette smiled.

"It's nothing Birdie," Sakura smiled, returning the hug. A cough interrupted them and the two pulled apart, their cheeks pink. They looked over at the door and saw Alfred standing there.

"Master Bruce wishes to see you, Master Richard," Alfred announced.

"Go on," Sakura smiled, pushing him forward.

"Alright," Dick nodded. "See you later."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey," Dick greeted, opening the pinkette's bedroom door. Sakura sat at her window seat, looking out at the rain.

"Hey," Sakura smiled, looking over at him.

"Alfred made some tea, you want some?" Dick asked, gesturing to the tea tray in his hands.

"Thanks," Sakura smiled, sliding over on the window seat. Dick placed the tea tray on her desk and poured them each a cup.

"So, why are you staring at the rain?" Dick asked, sitting next to her. "You did that when you were first here when you were ten, too. What's with that?"

"It doesn't rain much in our village," Sakura explained. "We are in the 'Land of Fire'. There's an active volcano nearby, and there's even a prison above the volcano."

"You never told me that," Dick said quietly.

"Well, prison isn't exactly a common topic, even if we are crime fighters," Sakura smirked.

"Touché," Dick smirked. Sakura looked outside just as there was a flash of lightning. Thunder soon followed and Sakura let out a sigh of content. Dick smiled and looked out the window as well. "So, you ready for school? Five more days left. You can still runaway."

"Ugh, as much as I hate the prospect of school, no," Sakura sighed. "Besides, I get to see your dorky 'Dick Grayson' hair! Why would I pass that up?"

"I've been begging Bruce and Alfred to veto that hair for this year," Dick smirked.

"And what did they say?" Sakura smirked.

"No, I have to do it," he groaned, hanging his head back.

"Oh! I can't wait for the first day of school!" the pink haired girl giggled. "I have a question though, who's 'Barbra'?" Dick rose an eyebrow at the sly smirk on Sakura's face. His face slowly became red as he realized what that face meant.

"It's not like that," Dick told her quickly. "Barbra is the daughter of the city's police commissioner. We're just friends."

"Alright," Sakura nodded, taking a sip of her tea.

"I swear, there's nothing going on, we're just friends," the Boy Wonder protested.

"I never said that were anything more," Sakura smirked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh, you rotten little," the billionaire's son trailed off, grumbling under his breath.

"Come on, Birdie, lighten up," Sakura smiled, nudging his knee with her foot. Dick smiled and chuckled under his breath.

"Alright, I'll lighten up," Dick smiled. "So, what were things like in your village? No cars, a volcano nearby, and its rather small. Why does the place need ninjas? That seems pretty peaceful to me."

"We didn't protect our village," Sakura answered. "We were basically hired hands. If someone needed protection, information, needed help weeding their garden, shinobi would do it; as long as they were paid enough." She sighed and leaned back into the window sill. "Thankfully I'm still a genin, so I only do chores. Sometimes I fear the day when I'll have to kill somebody just because I was paid."

"Don't worry, if you stick around here, you won't ever have to do that," Robin smiled, pulling her into a hug.

"Thanks Birdie," Sakura smiled, hugging him back.

"Hey, I gotcha a welcoming present," Dick smiled, reaching into his back pocket.

"Oh, what is it?" Sakura gasped, as he pulled out a small box. She clapped her hands and opened the box, taking out a small key ring with a key already on it. The key ring had a pink rose icon.

"A key to the manor. I would have picked a cherry blossom or something, but I couldn't find one," Dick smiled.

"Thanks Dick," Sakura smiled, giving him another hug. Dick smiled and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back.

"No problem," he said softly. "Now come on, we have a mission tomorrow, let's go to bed."

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning," Sakura smiled, walking him out of her room.

"Goodnight," the two chorused. Sakura closed the door and walked over to her bed, sitting down on it. She stroked the duvet covers and let out a soft sigh. Sakura laid back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling and listening to the rain, slowly falling asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Sakura groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. She lifted her hand, to shield her eyes from the sun. The pinkette slowly opened her eyes, and looked up, seeing a cloudless blue sky. The sun was shining brightly, and was beating down on her skin. Sakura held up her hand to create shade for her eyes and squinted looking around. She was sitting on a low sand dune. All around her she could see yellow sand that stretched on for miles. There was a rock wall a few meters to her left, and there were also dead, lifeless plants sprinkled across the sand.

Sakura stood up and circled around slowly, taking in the desert scenery. "Okay…where am I? Is the team on a mission in Suna?" She pulled her arm down, pausing when she saw her black and dark pink arm warmers. "What the…?" She looked down, taking in her new outfit. "Kami! No wonder I'm so hot! I'm wearing nothing but black!" She quickly pulled off her arm warmers and her scarf, cooling herself down as much as she could. She felt a soft tickling on her bare waist and turned around quickly, sliding into a fighting stance. She narrowed her eyes, looking for the enemy. "Okay…must have just been my imagination. Cherī! Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I can hear ya," Cherī responded.

"Good. Do you know where I am?" Sakura asked.

"No. I don't have a clue. Radio in the team to try and find them," Cherī suggested. Sakura nodded and lifted her hand to press the communicator in her ear.

"Maintain radio silence at all costs."

"Did you just remember Batman giving us orders?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, I remembered it too. Maybe we're on a mission with him and Robin," Cherī suggested.

"Great, how am I going to contact the team if I have no clue where I am? And if I was given an order for radio silence?" Sakura huffed, running a finger through her hair. "God my neck is so hot…why do I have long hair?" She gasped, pulling out a long strand of hair. "And, what happened to my special drill boots?" She gasped once more as the drills went off, throwing her off balance. She fell backwards and rolled down the sandy hill, reaching the bottom in a mess. "Okay, I have sand in places sand should never be. Not even when you're at the beach."

"Send up a flare. You have to do something. I can't really help you out if we're dying of heat," Cherī ordered. Sakura nodded and started forming hand signs.

"Wait! If we're to 'maintain radio silence', I shouldn't be giving away my position by sending up a flare," Sakura told her. "Great, what do I do now?"

"Just start walking," her sister replied.

"But which way? I could be heading away or towards Suna!" Sakura groaned, looking around.

"Just start walking," her sister repeated.

"Oh, you are so helpful," Sakura hissed under her breath. She stormed up the hill and grabbed her scarf and gloves, placing them back on.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura panted and fell to the sand below her, trying to catch her breath.

"Hey! You can't stop now, keep walking!" Cherī shouted at her.

"Just let me…catch…my breath…" Sakura panted. She pushed herself onto her hands and knees, looking around weakly. The pinkette ran her arm across her forehead, getting rid of the sweat. She closed her lips and tried to swallow what little saliva she had in her mouth. She sat down and reached inside her utility belt. "Come on, if I knew I was coming to the desert, I would have packed some water…" she muttered, opening and closing the compartments. She gasped when a canteen was held out in front of her face. Sakura looked up to see Robin staring down at her with a smile. "Birdie…"

"Hey there," he greeted, swishing the canteen gently. "Need some water."

"There's no way this is true..." Sakura muttered in refusal. "I've already seen a few mirages, one of which included a shirtless Sasuke...there's no way you're real."

"Wow...even while dehydrating in a desert, you're still fangirling over that guy," Robin cackled. "But I'm real, promise. Water?" he asked once more, shaking the canteen. Sakura reached out and gently poked his side, causing them both to smile. "Told ya I was real."

"Thank you," Sakura nodded, taking the canteen from him. She took a few sips, enough to quench her thirst, but not leave them without water.

"What are you doing here?" Robin asked, placing the water carrier in his belt.

"We're on a mission together, aren't we?" Sakura asked, tilting her head. "I remembered Batman ordering radio silence, so that's what I thought."

"Yeah, I was about to call him when I remembered that too," Robin nodded. "Do you know what day it is?"

"What, you don't have a watch on your fancy little glove computer?" Sakura scoffed lightly. "It's March 3rd, give a few days."

"You too huh?" Robin muttered.

"What?" Sakura asked, narrowing her eyes.

"It's September. September 4th," Robin answered.

"What?" Sakura shouted in disbelief. She shook her head and walked past him.

"No! No way is it September! I did not miss my birthday! I'm going to turn 12 why would I forget that?" Sakura shouted at him. Robin ran up to her, grabbing her shoulder, and turning her around.

"Blossom, we are in Bialya. It is September, and no matter how much we don't like missing the last six months of our lives, we need to carry out the mission!" Robin told her.

"How do we carry out a mission when we don't even know what it is?" Sakura shouted. "Shut up Cherī! I don't need your snarky attitude right now!"

"Sakura, calm down," Robin ordered, shaking her. Sakura snapped her focus back to Robin and looked at him. The acrobat nodded and pulled away, pulling up his computer. "I've placed a GPS locator somewhere, if we go there, we can probably find the others."

"Oh, I hope Sasuke is okay," Sakura muttered. "I haven't been able to sense his chakra at all. I haven't even found Naruto's!"

"Don't worry, I'm sure they're probably fine," Robin assured her.

"Then let's go," Sakura said, walking off. Robin nodded and led her towards the GPS marker. "I have a question though. What are we doing on a mission together? Batman doesn't approve of shinobi."

"Who knows, maybe we both had business here. Two birds, one stone as the saying goes," Robin shrugged.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, we're close," Robin told her, as they ran across the desert. The sun had fallen and brought on the cold desert night, much to the relief of the two preteens. They ran over to a dune and ducked down when they saw a large metal box. "Guess that's why I put a GPS marker here."

"Yeah, but what does it do?" Sakura asked, peeking over the hill and examining the machine.

"Don't know, but I know how we can find out," Robin smirked, pointing at the machine.

"Robin, no!" Sakura whispered, grabbing his arm and pulling him down. "It could be something really bad!"

"Bad how?" Robin asked with a scoff.

"Uh, if we're in Bialya, then Bialyan soldiers are probably surrounding that thing waiting for someone to go near it," Sakura answered. "Either they put it there, or we did. Either way, it's probably been discovered by the troops by now. In other words, it could be a trap!"

"Well, want to show those soldiers who they're messing with?" Robin smirked, holding out his hand.

"You are insane, there is no way that I'm going over there, you can just forget it," Sakura huffed, leaning back against the dune and crossing her arms. "Shut up! Cherī I am not a coward!"

"Suit yourself," Robin shrugged. "I'll just leave you and your sister to yourself." He jumped over the edge of the mound and Sakura turned around, biting her lip. As soon as he took a step closer to the machine, troops came out of the sand, holding guns. One of them barked out orders in a foreign language, and from the sounds of it, it wasn't friendly. Sakura groaned and jumped out of her hiding spot, kicking one of the soldiers in his head.

"See! What did I tell you?" She shouted at the masked teen. Robin threw down a smoke bomb, upsetting the sand. The soldiers covered their mouths and began to cough. Sakura took the distraction and grabbed the arm of a nearby soldier. She turned around and elbowed him in the gut, before punching him in the face. She jumped to the side as another one rushed at her. "Robin! I may have been training with Lady Tsunade, but I'm still not that good with fighting!" Sakura shouted, as she flipped him over her shoulder. "Not that I know of, anyway!"

"I'm coming!" Robin shouted, jumping in front of her. He jumped in the air and kicked two guys to the side as the dust cloud began to settle. "Just subdue them!"

"Right," Sakura nodded, taking out a few kunais. She threw them at every soldier that tried to get past her. The sound of gunshots filled her ears and she turned around, seeing bullets streaming towards her. She quickly flipped backwards, and took out two kunais, throwing them at the shooters. "Release!" she commanded, making the blades explode. She turned around, prepared to another soldier when the gun disappeared from his hand.

"Thanks for the weapons, I'll make sure they are never put to use again," Kid Flash smirked, dropping the guns away from the troops. He rushed into the battle scene and quickly punched away a few troops. Sakura ducked as a soldier began swinging his fists at her. She grabbed his arm and pulled him close, kneeing him in the gut. She pushed him back and quickly spun around, kicking him in the gut. She and Robin both turned towards two soldiers, taking out explosives. The fighters were pushed back by an unseen force.

"Kankuro?" Sakura asked quietly, looking around.

"No," Robin answered, pointing at a green skinned girl that was floating in the air.

"Martian," Sakura identified. An arrow whizzed past her and Sakura turned around, watching a runaway Bialyan get tied up by rope. A green clad archer smirked and slid down the dune, joining the group.

"KF!" Robin greeted, slapping their hands together.

"Hey Rob, and Pinky too," Wally smiled, seeing the pinkette. Sakura twisted her face into a scowl and crossed her arms. "Are you guys missing some memories too?"

"Six months!" Robin answered. "Let's hog tie these creeps and compare notes!"

"My pleasure," Wally nodded.

"Please, allow me," Sakura smirked, taking out some twine. "My wire might make them more...inclined to stay then some silly rope."

"Uh…sure…go ahead," the Martian girl nodded.

"Is she always like this?" the archer asked, pointing at the pinkette as she grabbed the soldiers rather roughly.

"Not usually," Robin answered. "Hey Cherry! Go a little easy on them!"

"Whatever," Sakura huffed, waving him off.


	16. Chapter 16

"Impossible," Sakura shouted at M'gann. "I would never leave Sasuke and my team! There's no way I'd join some team in the states! My whole life is back in the village!"

"But, we are a team," M'gann assured her. "The five of us and Superboy, we're all a team!"

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Sakura growled.

"Wait did you say 'Superboy'?" Robin questioned. M'gann nodded and the group watched him pull out a slip of cloth. "Then this must be his." He held out the black cloth, showing the red 'S' shield.

"Yes! It is!" M'gann gasped, grabbing the cloth. "Did you see him?"

"I think we did," Artemis gasped.

"That shirtless hulk?" Wally asked, scratching his chin. "Some teammate, he attacked us."

"You're lucky I didn't attack you," Sakura growled at the speedster. "Didn't I tell you not to call me 'Pinky'?"

"Hey, Superboy doesn't know who we are! I don't even know who we are!" Artemis shouted.

"Kunoichi and I remember Batman ordering radio silence," Robin announced. "Our team must work for him.

"I'm not a part of any team that comes from the states," Sakura protested, crossing her arms. "I am on a team with Naruto, Kakashi-sensei and the cool, suave and utterly handsome Sasuke." Sakura giggled and stared off into space thinking about her dark haired teammate. "Shut up! I am not going that 'gaga' over him," Sakura snarled, looking upwards.

"Uh, does she talk to herself often?" Artemis asked.

"Just ignore it," Robin told them.

"And wait a minute, how do you know we're not working for my mentor?" Kid Flash asked, tapping the lightning symbol on his chest. The black on his outfit receded, turning it yellow and red. "Whoa!" he gasped, pressing the lightning bolt again. His suit became black and his smile grew. "That is so cool." Robin and Artemis looked down at their uniforms, touching the symbols on their chest. Unlike Wally, their suits didn't turn black and stayed in the normal colors.

"We look ridiculous," Artemis huffed crossing her arms. She looked over at Wally, who was staring at his suit, pressing the symbol over and over. "Quit touching yourself!"

"You have got to learn how to phrase things better," Sakura sighed, crossing her arms.

"We need our memories back," Artemis huffed. The group blinked as the scenery around them changed. They were standing in a dark space with large shards of broken glass floating around them. The glass was showing scenes from the past six months.

"Where are we?" Sakura asked.

"I-I've brought you into my mind," M'gann answered, appearing before them. "I've remembered all that I can, but my memories are broken. All of our memories are broken. But, maybe we can put the pieces together and form the whole thing; if you open your minds to me."

"You want to go through our personal and private thoughts?" Artemis shouted in anger.

"I don't want to, trust me, I don't!" M'gann assured them. "I just-"

"Need to hack into our minds, take the memories and figure out what happened to us," Robin answered. "Go for it."

"My brain is all yours," Wally smiled. "Try not to let my intelligence overwhelm you."

"Or underwhelm you," Robin scoffed. "Wait, how come no one is ever just 'whelmed'?"

"Plenty of people are 'whelmed'," Sakura answered. "However, 'whelmed' means 'to cover with water'. So, you're whelmed when swimming, scuba diving, even taking a simple bath or washing your hands."

"Okay, not what I had in mind, you know it," Robin muttered, crossing his arms.

"Sorry, couldn't pass it up," the pinkette smirked. She turned to M'gann her green eyes narrowing dangerously. "And if you think you can go through my mind, then you can forget it! No one is allowed in there! If you even try, you will get-!"

"Kicked out, I know," M'gann answered. "Robin told us about…Cherī."

"He what…" Sakura gasped. She slowly turned around to face Robin, looking at him with wide eyes. Robin shook his head quickly, and grabbed her hand.

"Why would I tell you guys about that? That's a class S secret, like, my secret identity secret," Robin protested. "I'm one of the few people that Sakura's ever told! I would NEVER betray her like that!"

"You didn't!" M'gann assured the two. "I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but what I remember is hearing an older girl scream at Sakura inside her head. I believe Robin was just explaining to us what happened and what was going on." The Martian turned to her pink-haired teammate. "Please, I'll try to stay away from Cherī and I'll go into the past few months that involve us. I can restore other memories later, that way nobody else sees them, then I can get Uncle J'onn to erase my memories if you'd like."

"Blossom, let her do it," Robin whispered, squeezing her hand.

"Fine," Sakura huffed, falling back. Artemis looked apprehensive about the situation, still unsure. Wally smiled and gently took her hand, reassuring her.

"Last six months only! And take what you need!" Artemis warned her.

"I promise," M'gann nodded, holding out her hands.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

Batman appeared in front of them, debriefing the team.

"The Watchtower recorded an immense power surge in the Bialyan desert. After a spectral analysis, the League found elements that did not originate from Earth," Batman informed them. "Find out what happened there, and put a stop to it. Bialya is a rouge state ruled by Queen Bee, she is not a member of the UN's charter. All communications will be intercepted, it is vital that you maintain radio silence."

The image changed to the desert, through a pair of binoculars.

"You'll land in Qurac, on Bialya's border, two clicks from the target zone."

"All clear!" Robin called, turning to face his team. Superboy was lugging a machine out of the Bioship.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Bialyans control the site," Artemis informed them. Her, Robin, Sakura, and someone else, the group assumed it was Kid Flash, were looking down at the zone, seeing a tent.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group was now looking through Sakura's eyes, which turned to face Robin and Artemis.

"Whatever is inside there, it's pretty important," Sakura said.

"Important? That's an understatement. Do you hear that?"

Their vision became black and they could hear a ringing sound, as well as some faint voices.

"What can you hear?"Robin's voice asked. Sakura's eyes opened and she looked back at them.

"I hear something spinning," Sakura announced quietly. "I also hear creaking, like creaking metal. And people are talking. There's a faint clicking sound. They might be on computers."

"Brilliant deduction. Think they found the non-terrestrial element and are analyzing it?"

"There's a pretty good chance," Sakura nodded.

"Pretty good chance of what?" Artemis asked.

"That they found the element. They might be running experiments and recording their findings," Sakura answered.

"GET OUT!"

\---------------------------------------------------------------

The team was pushed back, gasping for breath as they were brought back into M'gann's mind. Sakura dropped to the ground, gripping her head.

"Blossom!" Robin shouted, crouching next to her.

"I'm sorry, I tried to stay away," M'gann apologized.

"It's fine; it's not your fault, M'gann. Just continue," Sakura panted.

"No!" A voice shouted. Cherī took form beside them. She crossed her arms, glaring at M'gann. "This is my body and my mind that you're fucking with as well! Not just hers!"

"Cherī! She has to continue," Sakura told her sternly. "We need to know what happens next. We need to know why we're here."

"Fine," Cherī growled. She turned to M'gann, pointing at her with warning "But you stay the fuck out of our mind! You're done with us!"

"Alright," M'gann nodded in fear, before closing her eyes.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

The group looked through Artemis's eyes next.

Superboy placed the machine down, and unclasped the belt that was keeping it on his back.

"Set up here."An unknown voice commanded

"We'll be up and running in no time," Robin smirked, typing away on the computer.

"Jackpot! This place is crawling with zeta beam radiation!" Wally cheered.

"It seems like your detecting non-terrestrial elements coming from the tent," Sakura observed.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

"I'll go check it out in camouflage mode," M'gann suggested.

"Good, you do that," the unknown voice said again.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

"Be careful," Superboy warned M'gann.

"And maintain telepathic communication," M'gann turned to stare at a dark skinned Atlantean.

"I will Aqualad."

\-----------------------------------------------------------

"Aqualad!" The group gasped in shock.

"How could we forget about our leader?" Sakura asked in shock.

"What happened next?" Robin asked.

"I don't know. That's the last thing, I, er, we remember," M'gann told them.

"We've been here for more than 24 hours," Wally reminded him. "If he's been wandering the desert for that long, that's not good."

"I can sense him," Sakura muttered, closing her eyes. "His energy, it's very weak, so I can't pinpoint his location."

"I got him," Robin announced. "He's close by, but he isn't moving."

\-------------------------------------------------------

Sakura placed a hand over Kaldur, examining him.

"He's fine, he just needs water," Sakura told them. "Robin, do you still have the canteen?"

"No, we drank it all trying to find the GPS," The boy wonder sighed. "Don't you have yours?"

"No. I was looking for that when you offered me some water, I could never find it," Sakura answered. "Artemis, got any trick bows filled with water?"

"No," the archer shook her head. "It's not exactly anything I can work with."

"I can't restore his memories in this condition," M'gann frowned.

"Can't you call the bioship?" Robin asked.

"No, it's out of range," M'gann sighed. "Wally, can't you get him there?"

"No, he's too heavy. And I'm going on empty. I could barely hold Artemis last time, and right now, I doubt I would be able to even hold Pinky and run at top speed. There's no way I'd be able to take Kaldur there," Wally protested.

"Do you think this'll help?" Sakura asked, taking a few pills out of her belt. "They're soldier pills. They're meant to replenish chakra. For those with chakra it essentially gives back a person's strength. The effects are instantaneous, but I don't know if it'll work for someone without chakra." Wally took a pill and bit into it, quickly swallowing it.

"I don't feel any different," Wally sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, that's all I got," Sakura sighed.

"M'gann, can't you just levitate Kaldur back to the Bioship?" Artemis asked.

"No, I have to find Superboy," M'gann protested.

"M'gann, Kaldur is dying! Superboy can wait!" Sakura told her sternly.

""No he can't! Superboy didn't exist six months ago! He doesn't have any memories. He's just reacting on animal instinct! I'm the only one that can help him!"

"Superboy is indestructible," Wally protested "Just ask the tanks he tore apart with his bare hands! Kaldur isn't! He needs your help more." M'gann gripped her head and gasped in pain.

"Superboy! He's in pain! I need to help him!" She shot into the sky, flying off.

"M'gann! We still don't know what erased our memories! It could happen again!" Robin shouted, trying to warn her.

"Forget it, she's not listening," Sakura shouted. "Robin, get out your escrima sticks, now!" Sakura ordered.

"What for?" he asked, taking them out and extending them.

"There's no way that we can carry him, it'll be easier and faster if we make a stretcher," the pinkette explained. She took off her scarf, unfolding it. "Thankfully, Kakashi-sensei gave me this scarf, it's meant to be stretched, meaning it can extend to what we need it to be." She laid it out and cut the edges, tying it to the two staffs. Artemis kneeled next to her and helped her get Kaldur onto the makeshift stretcher.

"Let's go," Robin nodded, pulling up his computer.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Robin guided them towards the Bioship, while Sakura, Artemis and Wally carried Kaldur. Sakura's ears pricked and she turned to look back.

"A car is coming!" She whispered urgently.

"Okay, over here," Robin ordered, running behind a large boulder. The three dragged Kaldur behind, disappearing right before a car drove by.

"Okay, that was too close," Wally muttered. Aqualad groaned, moving his head. He breathed out, muttering something in Atlantis.

"Kaldur, shhh, be quiet," Artemis whispered, placing a hand over his mouth.

"I have to remember the name 'Tula', later," Sakura whispered.

"We can't risk a fight with Aqualad KO'd like this," Robin whispered.

"And I'm almost out of energy, Pinky's little soldier pills haven't kicked in at all," Wally breathed, rubbing his head.

"And my arrows are almost gone," Artemis added, pulling her quiver forward to show them.

"Rob, what about you?" Wally asked, looking around. "Damnit, I forgot how much I hated it when he does the ninja thing."

"What? He ninja'd without me?" Sakura gasped, in annoyance.

"Hey, you never told me why your dad would want you to kill me," Wally muttered, turning to Artemis.

"I got confused," Artemis said quickly. "You see, I was watching this old movie not that long ago. It was about some ninja girl, whose ninja dad wanted her to kill her ninja boyfriend, because he was from a rival ninja clan."

"Wow, I haven't heard the word 'ninja' used so many times in one sentence," Sakura muttered. "And Naruto was my teammate."

"So, I'm your ninja boyfriend now, huh?" Wally smirked.

"Like M'gann and I said," Sakura whispered under her breath.

"Shut it," Artemis hissed at the pinkette, before turning back to the red headed male. "I was missing my memories, remember? I forgot how truly annoying you were!"

"Oh, like you're Miss Nice?" Wally scoffed.

"Jeez, get a room you two," Robin muttered, appearing beside them.

"Careful Birdie, don't want to give them any ideas," Sakura smirked, nudging the bird boy.

"Dude! Where did you go?" Wally asked.

"Nowhere, I was just breaking radio silence," Robin smirked, narrowing his eyes. They heard Robin cackle, but their Robin was smirking at them, his mouth firmly shut.

"You didn't," Sakura gasped with a smile on her face.

"I did," Robin answered, just as an explosion went off and the soldiers began coughing. "That's our cue! Let's go!"

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura watched as Artemis placed a wet washcloth on Kaldur's forehead.

"That's good, just try and get his temperature down," Sakura nodded. "We need to get him hydrated." She gently placed a cup of water against his neck, tipping it so that water touched the gills. The water disappeared from the glass, as the gills absorbed the cool liquid. "That's it Kaldur," Sakura whispered. She placed the empty cup down and placed a hand over his body. "There doesn't seem to be any internal damage from the dehydration. Nothing a little water can't fix anyway."

"You seem to know your stuff for a human doctor," Artemis muttered.

"Yes, humans are my main patients, but I tried to make it a habit to know the body structure of every species," Sakura nodded. "Besides, an Atlantean's body isn't that different from a human's. They just have gills, and their appendix actually does something."

"Really," Artemis muttered in shock. "What does it do?"

"Hey everybody! I've got Superboy! He's back to normal and we're on our way!" M'gann cheered. Aqualad shot up, taking a deep breath.

"Who are you? And how did you get inside my head?" He asked.

"Kaldur, calm down, it's alright," Sakura smiled, gently pushing him down.

"Hello Megan! I knew I was forgetting something! Aqualad's memories!" M'gann said happily.

"How can you say that in such a freaking chipper way? You left our leader to die so you could chase after an indestructible boy! Who cares that he was in pain, he's indestructible he could have waited! Kaldur couldn't! No offense Superboy," Sakura said quickly.

"None taken…I think…" Superboy replied.

"Oh man! I forgot to get a souvenir!" Wally complained, snapping his fingers.

"Don't worry. I think I got this 'souvenir' thing covered," M'gann assured him.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get here, give Kaldur back his memories and let's go home!" Sakura ordered.


	17. Chapter 17

Mount Justice

September 7

Sakura hummed as she stared down at her textbook, scratching her head with a pencil. She was in the mountain's living. Superboy was sitting on the couch behind her, watching the static on the TV. Sakura smiled and wrote down something on her paper, before flipping the page and continuing with the next problems.

"Your school must be tough," M'gann noticed. "You always come here to work on it. And you struggle for a few hours."

"Yeah, that's because I'm a sophomore," the pinkette sighed, placing her pencil down. "Batman and Lady Tsunade tricked me. They put me in the same school as Birdie and then my brain is questioned on the first day of school." She leaned back against the couch, rubbing her head. "And I placed really high on the test they gave me to see my IQ, so they bumped me up a grade! And put me in AP classes! It totally sucks!"

"It was our first day of school today and even we didn't have homework," Superboy told her.

"Oh yeah, how was that?" Sakura asked. "What's your name?"

"Conner Kent," the clone answered, looking back up at the TV.

"I tried out for the cheerleading team," M'gann smiled. "And I made it!"

"Awesome," Sakura smiled. "But are you sure that's a good idea?"

"What do you mean?" the Martian asked in confusion.

"I mean, what if we're given a mission at the same time you have a game to cheer in? Are you sure you can handle things?" Sakura asked.

"I'm sure I can figure something out," M'gann smiled in assurance.

Recognized Robin

Recognized Kid Flash

Recognized Artemis

"Hey guys," Robin greeted, sitting down next to Sakura.

"Whatcha workin' on?" Wally asked, sitting on the arm of the couch. Sakura looked up at him and smirked.

"AP sophomore courses," the ninja answered smugly.

"Seriously?" Artemis asked in shock, picking up the book. She quickly put it back down and rubbed her head, sitting on the arm of the couch. "Yeah, that's a sophomore book alright."

"Yeah, that's what I said when they gave me the answers to my IQ test," Sakura sighed.

"That is so unfair," Robin smirked. "I mean, you're only going to high school because you were going to be in my class and then they start to doubt how smart you really are and you're pushed up a grade."

"And into AP courses," Wally muttered, taking the book. "Yet you still can't understand technology?"

"I can understand it," Sakura blushed, her cheeks matching her hair in color. She took her book back and placed it on the table, leaning over it. "I just can't understand the terminology and mechanics." She tapped her pencil on the pages before writing another answer on her notebook.

"How much longer until you're done?" M'gann asked curiously.

"One more problem," Sakura answered. She looked at the problem on the page for a few moments before writing down her answer. The shinobi clapped her hands and closed her books, slipping them into her backpack. "And I'm done!"

Recognized Aqualad

"Just in time," Wally smiled. "Hey Kaldur, how was Taipei?"

"It was nice," Kaldur answered, setting a bag down. "Red Arrow says that the team has his respects."

"Awesome!" Robin cheered.

"So, what's in the bag? I smell food," Wally noted, sniffing the air.

"Well, Red Arrow took me to a small Japanese shop before leaving," Kaldur explained. "He said that he had taken a peek inside, and thought he would buy something for Sakura." The pinkette sat up straighter, sniffing the air. She was in front of Kaldur in less than a second looking at the bag eagerly.

"Whoa…and I thought I was fast," Wally muttered, shocked at how fast she had gotten there.

"Is that what I think it is?" the pinkette asked, poking the boxes inside the bag. Kaldur smirked, and took out a white cardboard box.

"It's for the whole team, a dessert," Kaldur told her firmly. "Meaning, after dinner."

"What is it?" Artemis asked.

"Roy did get a smaller box for you," Kaldur assured Sakura, taking out another, but smaller box. The pinkette quickly took the lid off and took out something small and wrapped in plastic.

"Chichi dangos!" The pinkette squealed, quickly unwrapping the Japanese sweet and popping the pink treat into her mouth. She hummed happily as she ate the dumpling, her cheeks turning pink in excitement. "I haven't had these in such a long time! Don't taste as good as how the tea house in the village makes them, but they're still delicious!"

"What are 'Chichi dangos'?" M'gann asked.

"They're light and slightly sweet dumplings," Robin answered. "Once, when Batman, Green Arrow, Red Arrow, and I were at her village chasing a few baddies, Sakura and her team took us to the tea house to celebrate a successful mission. Sakura ordered two whole plates of the stuff, as well as some other kinds of dangos! She loves the stuff! Can never get enough."

"There is actually a wide variety of dangos in her box, this one is just filled with Chichi dangos," Kaldur informed them.

"Can we try one?" Wally asked.

"One, the rest will be for after dinner," Aqualad nodded. The group went over to the box, taking one of the wrapper colored dumplings.

"Are they allowed to be different colors?" Superboy asked, popping a blue on in his mouth.

"Mine looks like confetti cake," Artemis muttered, eating one.

"It just food coloring," Robin assured them, eating his yellow dango.

"If you bring back sweet treats, you should go on solo missions more often," Wally smirked, placing a green one on his tongue.

"I have a question though, why would Red Arrow want to get some for just Sakura?" M'gann asked, looking at her orange dumpling.

"Because I grew on him," Sakura answered, eating another one. She closed her box and smiled, saving the rest for later. "When he saw the dangos at the shop, he probably had a little voice in his head that sounded like me telling him to buy some."

"He actually did look a little annoyed when he said he wanted to get you some," Kaldur nodded.

"Awesome," Wally smiled.

"So, shall I get started on dinner?" M'gann asked.

"I kinda wanna skip straight to dessert now," the speedster pouted.

"Grow up Baywatch," Artemis scoffed.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Mount Justice

September 17

"No way!" Sakura gasped, looking at M'gann.

"Shhh," The Martian urged, giggling at the pinkette. The two were in the kitchen of mountain, giggling amongst the two of them.

"Sorry, but really?" Sakura gasped, looking at M'gann. "You were in prison though!"

"Yeah, you wanna see it?" M'gann asked, holding out her hands.

"I won't be in your shoes will I?" Sakura asked nervously.

"No, I can make you like a person watching in," M'gann assured her.

"Do it," Sakura giggled, clapping her hand. She eagerly sat down on a bar stool and closed her eyes. M'gann smiled and held out her hands, placing Sakura's head between them.

"What's going on?" Robin asked, looking at the two. "Or do I even want to know?"

"Shush! You're going to make me lose concentration," M'gann told him, shooing him out of the kitchen. M'gann turned back to Sakura and placed the pinkette's head between her hands once more. M'gann closed her eyes adopted a neutral face, but there was still a small smile on her face.

Sakura opened her eyes and saw that she was inside a room with a hole in the wall. The hole was surrounded by ice, and there was a large tower close by. Trapped inside the tower was a blonde teen in an orange jumper. A teen boy with matching hair was looking at the ice pillar in sadness. Behind him was Icicle Jr.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

"M'gann please. Don't leave me," a voice rang through the area, but only Sakura could hear it. The ice pillar began to crack until it shattered with great force. The blonde boy rushed forward, grabbing M'gann's shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"It's really cold where I'm come from, so I'll be al-mmph!" the transformed M'gann gasped as the blonde placed his lips on hers.

"DUDE that's your sister!" Icicle Jr. gasped. The blond girl slowly turned into the green skinned Martian. "Wait! Is she-? And are you? Oh, dad's gonna kill me."

"What are you doing?"

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Ah!" Sakura shrieked, bolting up. Artemis was in the kitchen, and was staring at them in confusion. She held a water bottle in her hand, and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Next time don't interrupt!" The pinkette rushed to the fridge, ripping door open, and grabbing some soda.

"Why?" Artemis asked, slightly concerned.

"I was showing Sakura a memory of mine," M'gann answered. "I was able to make it to where she was just an observer, and not in my shoes. When you broke my concentration, her mind was brought into the body of my past self, and she was…kissing someone."

"You kissed someone? Spill!" Artemis gasped.

"It was someone on Mars, back when I was a child," M'gann lied quickly. Sakura looked at her and raised an eyebrow, but continued to drink her soda. She took the bottle away from her mouth and greedily gulped up some air.

"Does that count as my first kiss?" Sakura asked.

"Not really, I mean, it was my kiss, but you did get my feelings, and the sensation of being kissed. But no, you weren't actually kissed," M'gann answered.

"That's good," Sakura sighed in relief, finishing off the soda. "I don't want my first kiss to go that way."

"Yeah," Artemis smirked, leaning on the counter, she glanced into the living room and pulled M'gann and Sakura closer, smirking at the pinkette. "Just with a certain birdie. Cheep cheep"

"Artemis!" Sakura shouted, her cheeks turning pink. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Don't deny it," Artemis smirked, pulling her into a hug.

"Oh, please say it's true," M'gann giggled, joining the hug.

"Why would I say that?" Sakura blushed; trying to pull away from the hold they had her.

"Oh, I won't let you go until you admit it," Artemis smiled, holding her tighter. M'gann giggled, and hugged harder as well, trapping the shinobi.

"Fine! I'll admit it!" Sakura shouted. "After you admit you want to be Wally's one and only," she hissed at the blond archer. Artemis's eyes widened and the pinkette stared back with a smirk.

"As if," Artemis replied, letting go of her.

"Oh, I'm not letting go until you admit it," M'gann giggled.

"Let go or I will tell Artemis who you kissed," Sakura threatened telepathically.

"Fine," the green girl sighed with a smile, letting go of her. "Oh, I almost forgot," the Martian gasped to herself and quickly flew out of the room, coming back a moment later with a small box. Sakura gasped and clapped her hands, a huge grin appearing on her face. "Artemis, this is for you. Sakura and I picked it out and bought it together." Artemis took the small box and opened it, pulling out a red ribbon.

"See, I was given a red ribbon by my friend Ino, I've worn it ever since. And M'gann's civvies include a red ribbon in her hair. We thought it would be nice if the three girls wore red ribbons together," Sakura explained happily. She pointed to her and M'gann's hair, pointing out the two red ribbons.

"Sorry, but I don't do head bands," Artemis told them. The two girls frowned and sighed. "But, there is something I can do," she smirked, rolling her eyes. She set the ribbon down and mess with her hair, taking it out of the ponytail. She set down the beige cloth she had used and quickly retied her hair, using the red ribbon instead. She smiled at them and chuckled as they both giggled, giving her a hug.

"Yay! You like it!" Sakura said happily.

"Oh, can we make cookies now?" M'gann asked, looking up at the blonde in excitement.

"Sure, why not," Artemis shrugged.

"I'll get the chocolate chips!" Sakura cheered, rushing towards the pantry.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Robin rolled his eyes. "I'll never understand girls. So, how was the Belle Reve prison?" he asked Conner.

"It was fine," Superboy shrugged, not keeping his eyes off of the TV, which was on its usual static. Robin blinked behind his sunglasses before shrugging and turning back to his laptop. The slight upturn in the clone's lips went unnoticed by the Boy Wonder.


	18. Chapter 18

Gotham City

September 22

Sakura sighed as she walked across the campus of Gotham Academy. In order to protect her secret identity, her hair was black and in a messy high ponytail, with bangs framing her face. She even had on a pair of glasses to cover her now black eyes.

"Sakura, come on," Dick smiled, grabbing her wrist. His hair was slicked back, and he was wearing the academy uniform perfectly, unlike her. She wore the white button up and blue sweater vest with the school logo, but her shirt was untucked and rested over her dark blue skirt. Sakura had on black cycle shorts under the skirt and wore black boots that went to her knees.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked as they rounded a corner. Dick smirked and pointed to a blonde girl, tugging on her skirt. "Is that…Artemis?"

"Yeah, Bruce had the Wayne Foundation give her a full scholarship," Dick nodded. He took out a camera with a smirk. "Wanna picture to celebrate?"

"Hell yeah," Sakura nodded. She looked back at Artemis, who was now talking to a girl with blond curly hair that Sakura was able to identify as Bette, her classmate.

"Then let's go," Dick smiled, running over to Artemis. He placed his arm on Artemis's shoulder and Sakura stood between them, smiling. "We'll laugh about this someday," he said quickly, taking a picture. Artemis blinked and looked around, not seeing anyone.

"Who were they?" She asked.

"A freshman, just ignore him," Bette answered.

"And the girl?" Artemis asked.

"She's in our year, but she should be a freshman, she's just that smart," Bette answered.

"I see," Artemis nodded slowly as they walked off.

"Dick? Sakura? What was that about?" A red head asked, leaning against a pillar. Sakura and Dick walked out from behind the pillar, standing next to the girl.

"Nothing Barbra, we were just being friendly to the new girl," Dick assured her.

"Well, I should be going, I have to get to class," Sakura smiled.

"Alright, see ya later," Dick smiled.

"Bye," Barbra nodded.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura and Dick were perched on the rooftop above the zeta beam for Gotham City. They wore their uniforms and were looking into the dark alley.

"There she is," Sakura smirked, point at the blond archer that was approaching the old phone booth. Robin and Sakura quickly and silently dropped to the ground.

"Artemis?" Robin gasped in fake surprise.

"What are you doing in Gotham?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, shouldn't you be with your uncle Green Arrow in Star City?" Robin agreed.

"Actually, I'm here to see my cousin. She was in the state spelling bee. Which was here, in Gotham," Artemis said quickly.

"C-o-o-l," Robin smirked.

"H-o-w did she d-o?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, did she w-i-n?" Robin added.

"N-o," Artemis growled, narrowing her eyes.

"D-r-a-g," Robin smirked, nearly failing to hide his chuckle.

"Too b-a-d," Sakura sighed, shaking her head teasingly.

"Can we just go to the cave already?" Artemis huffed, crossing her arms.

"Ladies first," Robin smiled, bowing, and gesturing to the phone booth.

"Uh, it's your city. You go first," Artemis ordered.

"Guess that means I'm first," Sakura smiled, opening the door. The doors closed behind her and Sakura smiled.

Recognized Kunoichi

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura ran into the room to see it covered with smoke and balls of fire shooting out of the smirk.

Recognized Robin

"Robin look out!" Sakura shouted, jumping out of the way of a fireball. The boy Wonder gasped and jumped out of the way as well. The two of them rushed into the fire, taking out their weapons.

Recognized Artemis

"Get down!" Robin shouted, as another fireball was shot off. Robin and Sakura flipped out of the smoke and threw in their weapons. A fireball shot out at them in retaliation. The group tumbled out of the way and Artemis took out an arrow, firing it.

"Who are we fighting?" She shouted, shooting her arrows aimlessly.

"Don't know, but while we're next to these tubes, we can't do anything!" Robin shouted, throwing out two disks. "Head for the exit!"

"Don't have to tell us twice!" Sakura shouted, taking out a kunai and throwing it while they ran. A jet of fire shot over their heads as they entered the hallway. "Okay, maybe this was a bad idea!" Sakura shouted in a mix of horror and confusion as a wave of water began rushing at them. The three teenagers turned around, trying to outrun the water. The liquid slammed into their backs and pushed them off their feet. The floated into the main and got up, coughing. "Well, at least the fire's out." Sakura muttered, jumping to her feet, as a fireball was shot out of nowhere.

"You had to say something!" Robin shouted as they took off down the hallway again.

"There's a funnel of fire behind us!" Artemis shouted, glancing behind them. They ran into the gym, running past all the equipment.

"Robin to team! Come in Aqualad!" The boy wonder shouted into his communicator, trying to get a hold of someone. The doors burst open, and the funnel fired them into the room, knocking them off their feet. The three teen jumped onto their feet and kept running. "Robin to Batcave! Override RG4!" they ran into the locker rooms, and into the showers. The fire backed up, fearing the sign of water. "Cave calling Justice League: HOJ-slash-Watchtower! B01 priority: Red!" Robin shouted, as they turned on the showers. "The comm. links are blocked! But, at least the water's helping."

"Do you think this is a good idea?" Sakura asked quickly. "I mean, a wave of water crashed into us outside." Just as she said that, the handles flew off of the wall, shooting out water. The shower caps slammed onto the ground as jets of water flowed out. The water began to surround them, not exiting through the door, forming a cube of water. Robin threw a disk at the wall and an explosion went off, flooding the hallway with water. The three coughed quickly before running once more, entering the kitchen.

"Next time, we don't do anything without consulting Kunoichi!" Artemis panted, looking around.

"Trust me, saying that is not going to change anything," The pinkette huffed, wringing out her wet hair.

"We need to get gone, now!" Robin told them.

"What about the air vent?" Artemis asked, pointing at the cylinder above the stove.

"Good, go!" Robin ordered. Sakura and Artemis rushed to it, pulling out the vents.

"What are you doing Birdie?" Sakura asked.

"Downloading cave blueprints they could come in…" he trailed off, as they heard footsteps coming down the hallway. "Go!" he whispered, running over to them. Artemis and Dick quickly crawled up the vents and Sakura followed after, placing the passage way back into place. She followed them through the air vents. "Go left," Robin ordered, looking at the blue prints. Just as Sakura's foot cleared the passage a stream of fire shot past her, making the pinkette crawl forward quickly.

"That was way to close," she whispered, pushing Robin forward.

"Take the first right," Robin told them. "There should be a vent cover right in front of you."

"I got it," Artemis nodded, pulling the vent cover back. The trio slid down the tunnel and entered a room filled with machines.

"Where to now," Sakura commanded, looking around frantically.

"This way," Robin answered, running down the stairs. A few moments later, a ball of fire shot out of the vents. They could make out the silhouette of someone looking around. Robin jumped over the staircase as flames shot towards the ceiling, heating up the temperature of the room. Sakura and Artemis joined him, leaning against a metal wall quietly. Something in front of them began beeping and they saw a machine with a green bar. The green bar was slowly turning red, heating up.

"That's not good," Robin whispered, ducking out of the way.

"When is anything beeping ever good?" Sakura hissed back. They ran as fast as they could, steams shooting out of the pipes as they passed. The figure engulfed in fire spotted them and began shooting at them once more. Robin led them behind a giant machine and pulled up his computer.

"There should be an access tunnel around here somewhere," he huffed, searching the blueprints.

"Birdie," Sakura called, from next to Artemis. They both pulled up a vent cover and jumped down. Robin placed an explosive on the boiler behind him and jumped down just as it went off. Once again the group was on their hands and knees, crawling through the vents.

"Hold on," Robin called, pointing to a box. Sakura quickly took out a kunai and pried the cover off, revealing several USB ports.

"Convenient," the pinkette muttered, nodding her head as Robin plugged in.

"I'm deactivating the motion and heat sensors so the enemy can't track us," Robin told them, typing away on his holoscreen.

"Again, I ask: who is our enemy?" Artemis huffed.

"Let's find out," Robin smirked. "Download the security footage, and complete. There." Robin smiled, enlarging an image of Wally, Kaldur, M'gann, Conner, and Sphere.

"Torque wrench," Wally said simply. M'gann nodded and levitated the tool to him. "Thank you, green cheeks."

"I have been meaning to ask you," Kaldur asked, walking closer to them. "Are you having any trouble balancing your school work with your responsibilities as heroes?"

"Nope," Conner answered simply.

"Juggling is one of my many challenges," Wally told them. "Socket wrench."

"Cheerleading practice has been a bit of a challenge," M'gann confessed, passing over the desired tool once more.

"Told her it might," Sakura sighed.

"But, I will always be loyal to the team first," M'gann assured them. "This one I mean. Not the Bumblebees cheerleading team."

"Artemis starts school today," Kaldur told them. "Do you think she may have trouble maintaining her loyalties?"

"Nah, I mean how much more hostile and annoying can she-!" The team all let out shouts of surprise as there was an explosion.

"What happened?" Artemis asked as the screen filled with static.

"An explosion took out the camera. I'll find another angle," Robin told them, typing away. The new angle had water coming out of the pool that led to the ocean. A stream of water came up, knocking into the camera. Robin switched angles once more, and they watched the team race off to fight. A wave of water passed by the camera, knocking it out as well. Robin quickly switched angels once more, only to be quickly cut off by a torrent of water. "That's it…" he whispered. "All four are dead."

"You don't know that," Sakura growled.

"I meant the cameras!" Robin said quickly. "I'm sure the others are okay. Just give me a moment to find out how to get to the hangar." Artemis huffed and leaned back, hitting the vent wall.

"Yeah, they've got superpowers! They can handle anything!" Artemis nodded.

"Just because we don't have superpowers doesn't me we're not as physically strong as them," Sakura told her, leaning back as well.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"There should be a secret passage behind one of these bookcases," Robin told them as they dropped into the library.

"Seriously? They couldn't get any more cliché?" Artemis asked.

"You should see the Batcave," Robin muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, that place is filled with clichés," Sakura agreed. "Scooby and the gang would have a field day there." The group froze when the doors slid open and they heard footsteps. They ducked behind a bookcase, drawing their weapons.

"Artemis, Kunoichi, Robin," a familiar voice called.

"Its Red Tornado," Artemis gasped, running out of their hiding spot to greet him. Her eyes widened as she saw a red robot with gold decorations. He raised his fist to punch her but Robin pushed her out of the way in time.

"You got the 'red' part right, but failed on the 'tornado'!" Robin shouted, rolling under a table. Sakura jumped on the imposter, slamming him into the ground, before joining Artemis and Robin. They ran towards the exit but slid to a stop as a female robot walked in front of them. Fire shot out of her hands and she joined the other robot. The group jumped on top of the bookcases, as the sprinklers went off. Robin and Sakura jumped down, looking at the books. Sakura began pulling them frantically and Robin used his computer to find the right one. Artemis jumped down next to them as Robin pulled a red book. The bookcase fell down and they jumped inside the passage just as the bookcases came tumbling down behind them.

"Did you know Red Tornado had…siblings?" Artemis asked, failing to think of a better word.

"No," Robin answered.

"Didn't even think that was possible," Sakura replied.

"So now what do we do?" Artemis asked, grabbing them and forcing them to stop. "Red Tornado is one of the strongest members of the League! How are we supposed to take down two of him?"

"Technically they aren't him. Red Tornado uses air. These guys use fire and water," Sakura corrected her.

"Besides, they do seem pretty user unfriendly," Robin nodded.

"Now is not the time to be joking!" Artemis hissed.

"Attention Artemis. Attention Kunoichi. Attention Robin," a voice came out of nowhere. The trio looked up at the speaker near the ceiling. "You have exactly ten minutes to surrender or the lives of your teammates will be extinguished, forever." The trio looked at each other desperately, not knowing what to do.


	19. Chapter 19

"We can access the hangar from here," Robin told them, as they headed for the kitchen. A massive wave of water started rushing towards them and they wasted no time in turning around. "Nevermind!" The water slammed into their backs, submerging them. Robin quickly took off his cape and took out an oxygen mask. The two ninjas swam over to Artemis. The male took a huge gulp of hair and placed the small mask in Artemis's mouth. Artemis gasped as her ankle was grabbed, causing the tube to fall out of her mouth. The male robot pulled her back towards him. Robin grabbed one of the floating arrows and swam back to Artemis, slamming the arrow into the robot's eye. He grabbed Artemis and swam back towards the pinkette. The two nodded at each other and Sakura reached into Robin's utility belt, taking out several disks. Robin took out his grappling hook and shot it at the wall. Artemis grabbed onto Sakura, who let go of the disks, just as Robin pulled them forward. The three non-metas surfaced, taking greedy breaths of air and coughing up the water that had managed to get into their lungs.

"That is whelming," Sakura coughed.

"Look out!" Wally shouted at them, as a fireball soared close to them. The three dove underwater and resurfaced next to their teammates.

"You guys okay?" Robin gasped, trying to catch his breath.

"Don't worry about us! Get M'gann!" Conner shouted.

"Kaldur! Is she alright?" Artemis shouted in fear.

"M'gann is fine. She is just unconscious. I fear that we may not survive much longer," Kaldur answered.

"Right, leave this to me," Sakura nodded, "Artemis, Robin, distract the robots, I'll get M'gann and Kaldur." The two nodded and swam under the surface as fire was shot at them. They looked at the pinkette and Sakura pointed to the stairs before swimming towards the wall. She swam to the edge, and placed her hands and feet on the wall, pumping her chakra through her body. Her green eyes narrowed as she saw the water robot swim past her, ignoring her. She slowly climbed up the wall, trying not to grab any attention. She gripped the wall as she heard an explosion.

"Whoa! Cut it a little closer next time, will ya Rob?" Wally shouted. Sakura glanced over and saw a disk an inch away from his head. Sakura looked back up and continued climbing. She pulled herself up and looked over at Kaldur and M'gann.

"Kunoichi?" Kaldur whispered in shock. Sakura shook her head quickly and crept closer to them. The female robot's head snapped over to her, and shot fire at her. Sakura gasped and rolled out of the way, taking out several kunai. She threw them at the robot, but they just bounced off her harmlessly.

"Kunoichi!" Robin shouted from the water. Sakura spared him a glance, but regretted it when she was encased in fire. The pinkette let out a scream and fell to the ground, as the fire became a cage.

"Forget me! Just go!" she shouted at them. Robin and Artemis dove under the water, obeying her. They swam towards a vent and quickly entered, swimming to a new surface. They coughed and climbed inside the tunnel, catching their breath.

"Six minutes."

"What do we do know?" Artemis asked.

"We save them, that's all there is to it," Robin answered.

"In case you didn't notice, those robots just took out our four superpowered friends and one seriously fucked up MPD ninja!" Artemis shouted.

"Don't you dare call her fucked up," Robin hissed, glaring at her. Artemis gasped, flinching back, causing Robin to sigh, and hang his head. "Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped, it wasn't my place."

"Its fine," Artemis muttered, looking at the steel floor.

"You seem quiet distraught," Robin chuckled lightly.

"Distraught? M'gann is dying, Sakura was just burned severely, and I'm down to my last arrow! Of course I'm distraught!" Artemis shouted.

"Well get traught or get dead!" Robin growled, turning to begin crawling.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Artemis asked in shock.

"A lot of practice," he grumbled. "I've been in this business since I was nine."

"Well, what good is that now?" Artemis asked. "What chance do we have against machines that just won't give up?"

"Oh…duh!" He groaned, slapping his forehead. "They're machines! All this time we've been treating them like people! But, they're machines! If we give off an electromagnetic pulse any and all machines within range will be shut down."

"Great! But I doubt you have an E.M.P. emitter in your belt," Artemis muttered. "Because I sure as hell don't have one in my quiver."

"Sorry, fresh out," Robin smirked. "But I know that we can make one." He pressed his finger against his ear. "How does that sound, KF? Doable?"

"Totally!" Wally whispered back through the comm.

"Five minutes."

"If…you had more than five minutes," Wally finished lamely.

"Well you better think of something science nerd," Robin huffed.

"Okay okay…I got it!" Wally gasped. "Med lab! Go there!" Robin and Artemis quickly crawled forward, coming to the entrance. Robin kicked it open and jumped out.

"Okay, now what?"

"The X-ray machine, find it," Wally ordered. Robin looked around before quickly rushing to said machine. "You'll find a small vacuum tube called a vercater. It converts high energy pulses." Robin took out his USB cable and quickly plugged into the machine, taking the cover off of the container for the tubes. "You just have to reprogram the unit's microwave conversion from X waves to E.M.P. waves with a cascading energy director going outward." Robin quickly finished and gently took the vercater out.

"It'll create a ripple effect, like dropping a stone into a pond," Robin realized.

"Yeah, a stone with a tenth to the twelfth power wattage," Wally answered.

"All we have to do now is hook this thing up to the cave's main generator," Robin smirked.

"And where is that? "Artemis asked.

"Take a wild guess," Robin answered, heading for the vents.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura wiped her forehead panting slightly as the heat got to her.

"Cherī, can't you do anything?" she groaned lightly, lying on the ground. "I know I'm used to the heat, but this is too much even for me. Why can't you help? I see…but I will be dying soon.." Sakura muttered, wiping her forehead once more.

"Hey Red Tomato! Who's your girlfriend? Red Onion?" Wally shouted. Sakura looked up, glancing over the ledge.

"Yeah!" Conner agreed. "By the way, this is the worst death trap ever! We can escape anytime we want!"

"What are they doing?" Sakura whispered to herself. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and looked over to a hangar opening; two figures ran across the opening, pressing themselves against the wall. The pinkette smirked to herself and turned back to Wally and Conner.

"I could vibrate my molecules out of this before your binary brains could even count to two!" Wally taunted.

"And you can't drown a Kryptonian you idiots, we don't breathe air!" Conner added. Wally laughed tauntingly at the robots.

"And I can't believe you're buying Miss Martian's act!" Wally told them.

"Yeah, do you know how hot Mars can get?" Conner scoffed. "And what about Kunoichi?"

"Yeah, I mean, come on! Land of Fire! She lives near an active volcano!" Wally shouted.

"Those cages our just making the girls homesick!" Superboy smirked.

"ROBIN LOOK OUT!" Artemis shrieked. Sakura's head snapped over to the generator, and saw a giant wave crash into it, knocking Robin off. Sakura looked at the archer who prepared her final arrow, just as she was about to let go, the female android shot a fireball at her. Artemis ducked and let go of her last weapon. It flew through the air and landed a few feet away from the androids exploding.

"Artemis run!" Sakura shouted at the blond girl. She watched the archer retreat into the opening. Her eyes snapped back to the pool of water, seeing a column rise up from it. Robin was floating inside, trying to hold his breath. "Birdie," the pinkette gasped, seeing his form fall limp. Bubbles came from his mouth and his limbs swayed with the water. The android carried him over to the cement platform, setting him down. The water subsided and the two walked over to him, looking down at the thirteen-year-old boy. "Birdie," Sakura called weakly, staring at his body in disbelief. "Birdie! Wake up!" She shouted, her voice cracking under the pressure. Robin laid still, not able to respond. "Robin…no…" she gasped quietly, feeling a tear run down her cheek. "Cherī" she growled, glaring at the ground. "Take over…now!" She shouted in anger. "I don't care! Just do it!" She panted, curling her fists in anger. "Fine, if that's the way, you want to play it," Sakura reached out for the flaming bars of her cage. "If you don't do something, I swear, I will burn myself." She inched her hand closer. The pinkette felt the heat roll off in waves, touching the tips of her fingers. "About time…" she smirked, closing her eyes. Her hair darkened and grew longer. Her body became curvy as she stood up. Sakura's eyes snapped open, revealing amber eyes that held rage.

"How dare you," Cherī growled at the robots. She ran through the cage, ignoring the intensity of the flames as they ran across her body. The male robot quickly sent a torrent of water her way. Cherī was pushed off her feet and slid across the ground, slightly thankful that the flames were out. She jumped up and ran at them, dodging each blast of water sent her way. She ducked under a powerful stream and rolled forward, pushing her body into a hand stand, the heels of her boots colliding with his jaw. He was sent flying back into the water. Cherī growled and flipped upward, glaring at the female android. Her opponent raised her arms, sending blasts of fire her way. Cherī jumped back, flipping to avoid each one.

"Yeah I hear ya! Just give me a moment!" Cherī's eyes widened and she froze in shock. That moment of hesitation was all the male android needed to send a blast of water and knock her off her feet. Cherī's head slammed into the ground and she groaned. The water formed a dome around her, slowly closing in on her. The water slowly encased her body and Cherī held her breath as her head was covered. The water lifted her into the air before slamming her onto the ground and knocking the wind out of her. Cherī gasped, but immediately regretted it when water filled her throat.

"I surrender!" Artemis called, walking into the room. Cherī weakly opened her eyes to look at the blond archer. Cherī's sight began to darken and the image before her blurred. She could barely make out Artemis taking out her last arrow. Not even a minute later, Cherī's eyes snapped open and she rolled over, coughing out the water in her lungs. Her ears were ringing loudly, causing the pinkette to not hear anything else but the sharp ring. She rubbed her ears and looked around.

"He's breathing too!" Artemis shouted in relief. Cherī sighed in relief and stood up weakly, before falling back to her knees.

\----------------------------------------------------------

"I figured my only chance was to 'surrender'. I pretended to drown before I actually did," Robin explained. "But I did black out."

"Don't scare us like that again," Cherī muttered, pulling him into a hug. "Sakura really thought you were dead."

"I'm sorry," Robin apologized, returning the hug.

"M'gann, are you alright?" Superboy asked, taking the Martian's hand.

"I'll be fine," M'gann assured him.

"Will you quit playing with that?" Wally shouted at the blond archer. "Just cut us out already!"

"It's not working!" Artemis huffed, trying to turn the laser on. "E.M.P. shuts down all machines, remember?"

"All machines present at the time," Red Tornado corrected, flying into the hangar. "What has transpired?"

"We had a little visit from your family," Robin answered, glancing at the two robots.

"Yeah, your extremely, nasty family!" Artemis added.

"They almost killed all of us," Cherī informed him.

"Where have you been?" Conner asked, as Tornado approached the androids.

"I was at the Watchtower performing monitor duties. When I discovered that communications with the tower had been cut off, I came to investigate, but your zeta tubes were also down."

"Yeah, you can thank your sister for that one, she set the whole main room on fire," Cherī muttered.

"I went to Providence and then made my way here," Red Tornado told them. Above him, Sphere, which was stuck in the wall spun to life and shot out of the crater, rolling over to Superboy.

"Hey boy," Conner greeted with a sigh. Artemis gasped as the laser in her hands turned on for a split second before she turned it back off.

"The pulse has worn off!" Robin and Wally gasped, turning back to the Reds. Tornado turned to face them. He shot into the air and summoned two tornados, pulling the air towards him. The team gasped, for breath as they slowly fell to the ground.

"Can't….breathe…" Artemis coughed, before blacking out. Cherī looked at the den mother in shock before she fell to the ground, unconscious as well.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Blossom! Blossom wake up!" Robin called, shaking her shoulders. Sakura's emerald eyes slowly opened and saw Robin kneeling next to her.

"Are you alright?" Batman asked.

"Yeah," she groaned, rubbing her throat. Robin took her hands and helped her stand up. The pinkette wobbled and fell into his chest.

"Are you sure?" Robin chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, Cherī just took a lot out of me," Sakura answered weakly. She looked around and saw that several leaguers were there, helping the kids.

"She's awake," Superman called, helping Artemis up. "What happened here?"

"What happened?" Artemis shouted in anger. "The REDS happened! Red Tornado and his crazy family showed up and…wait, where are they?" The blond looked around frantically, not seeing the three androids.

"They're gone, all three of them," Robin answered.


	20. Chapter 20

Mount Justice

September 23

Green Arrow placed a bowl of pretzels on the table, silently offering the snack to the team.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Wally muttered, looking away from the treat.

"We don't want food, we want answers," Sakura sighed.

"Yeah, what's the deal with Red Tornado and his freaky siblings?" Robin demanded. Green Arrow shrugged and went to take the bowl but Kid Flash stopped him.

"Leave it," he muttered, taking a few of the pretzels in his mouth.

"Do speedsters always need to eat?" Sakura sighed, looking away in slight disgust. She noticed that Artemis was staring at the table, looking pot off. The pinkette slid closer to her, wrapping an arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Are you okay Artemis?"

"I'm fine," the archer sighed, rubbing her head. "Still…a little shaken up, but I'm fine…"

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," M'gann assured her, rubbing her back. "You were very brave."

"You knew!" Superboy shouted. The team looked over in shock to find the clone gripping Aqualad's shirt, glaring at him. "That android and his crazy family nearly killed M'gann!" he growled.

"Conner!" said Martian gasped, flying over to the pair. "What are you doing? Let go of him!"

"Kaldur knew there was a traitor among us and said nothing!" Superboy shouted.

"What," the pinkette hissed.

"You knew?" Robin asked in shock.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kid Flash demanded.

"I was protecting the team from-"

"From what?" Artemis said in anger. "Knowing that there was a traitor among us could have saved our lives!"

"Enough," Batman called. Conner let go of Aqualad and faced the masked man. The team gathered around each other, staring at the Dark Knight. "With Red Tornado…missing, you will get a new supervisor, in rotations. Captain Marvel has volunteered to be the first."

"I'm really looking forward to hanging with everyone," Marvel smiled.

"Once I'm done with Red Tornado, you and I will," Batman walked forward, cutting off Conner's threat to Aqualad.

"Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League. He is our responsibility. You will leave him be," Batman ordered lowly. "Meanwhile, I have another mission for this team," A screen was pulled up, showing the front page of a newspaper.

"'Gorilla trades bananas for bullets'," Sakura read. "Wait, is that thing holding a machine gun?" The pinkette was pointing to the slightly fuzzy picture of a Gorilla, with a machine gun in its hands. Another one came up, of an injured man with a gorilla's face in the corner.

"'Gotham's Mayor attacked by guerrilla gorilla'?" Wally read in disbelief.

"Please tell us you're not sending us on some wild…ape chase," Robin asked. "It's a joke!"

"I never joke about a mission," Batman reminded him, glaring at him through his cowl. Robin stiffened and looked away in embarrassment. "I've checked the sources and studied the patterns. Mayor Hill's encounter is only the recent in a series of incidents. Aqualad, you and your team will go to India and check it out." The team walked past the Atlantean, glaring at him.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Sphere rolled over to the bioship, calling out to Conner.

"Nu-uh, go," Superboy ordered. Sphere looked downward before rolling off.

"Wait, you're coming with us?" Robin asked as Captain Marvel was about to fly on the ship.

"Sure, it's gonna be a blast," Marvel nodded, entering the ship.

"Translation, he blames us for what happened with the Reds," Robin sighed.

"He doesn't trust us at all," Sakura summed up, crossing her arms.

"It's a big club," Wally grumbled as Kaldur approached them. The two boys glared at him before stepping into the ship.

"Kaldur, I don't blame you for keeping this from us," Sakura sighed. "Knowing that there was a mole would have set us on edge. We would probably be wary of each other."

"Then why are you mad?" Kaldur asked.

"Because you proved that you didn't trust us. In order for any team to work perfectly, there can't be any secrets. Hidden information that could affect the team can severely damage team dynamics if the others aren't prepared for it. Plus, it damages the trust the team has in the one that held the secret. If you were willing to keep a mole from us, what else are you not telling us? I just thought you had better judgment than that," the pinkette sighed before entering the ship as well.

\----------------------------------------------------------

"You know, this mission isn't so farfetched," Sakura stated once they were in the air.

"What makes you say that?" Marvel asked. Sakura crossed her arms and brought her hand up, biting her thumb.

"In my village, it is possible to summon animals to help fight alongside us," the pinkette answered. "Kakashi-sensei can summon dogs, Lady Tsunade can summon slugs, Lord Jiraiya has frogs, as does Naruto, and Orochimaru can summon snakes. In the shinobi world, it is quiet common to have a summoning do some work for you. If this is the case, then that would mean a rogue shinobi from one of the hidden villages could be using a gorilla summon to do his dirty work and get press."

"Or, they could be using the summon to get something," Wally continued. "They could be in it for glory, if they pretend to take down and catch this gorilla they could get a hefty reward."

"Or, they're using it for crimes," Artemis added.

"Yes, but I do warn you…if that is the case…" Sakura trailed off.

"This will no longer be our mission," Robin finished.

"Correct," Sakura nodded. "This will be handed off to the proper village and from there, ANBU will be dispatched to take care of the rouge and his summon."

"What do you mean by 'proper village'?" Marvel asked.

"Simple, I hold sacred village secrets and techniques. If I were to turn rogue, then ANBU from my village would come after me to kill me, and dispose of my body properly. If anyone were to get a hold of me, they could use village secrets to destroy it," Sakura answered. "If this is the cause of a shinobi and summon, it is my duty to figure out the village from which the shinobi originated and send a message to the kage. After that the kage will send out ANBU from their village to dispose of the shinobi and keep the village secrets exactly that."

"Your village is brutal," Marvel muttered.

"That's how you survive," Sakura told him. "So, are we clear on what will happen if this turns out to be a summon?"

"Very," Aqualad nodded.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Northern India

September 23

The bioship hovered over the forest. Artemis and Robin jumped out of the ship, running into the forest as M'gann landed their transportation. The hatch slid open and the group exited as Robin and Artemis joined them.

"All clear," the Boy Wonder announced.

"Switch to stealth mode and we'll review mission parameters," Aqualad told them, turning on his suit.

"We don't need parameters," Kid Flash grumbled, turning on his stealth suit.

"Yeah, its recon we know what to do," Robin scoffed. The two males turned towards the forest.

"Kid, Robin, wait," Aqualad called.

"Look, the four of us started this team because the Justice League was keeping secrets from us," Robin huffed.

"Or did you forget that part? Like you forgot to tell us that we had a mole?" Kid Flash huffed, pulling the goggles over his eyes.

"You coming with?" Robin asked Kunoichi. Sakura nodded and ran over to him, following the two into the forest.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura crouched on the edge of a small ridge. She placed her glasses on her face, scanning through the foliage. Robin and Kid Flash pulled up their binoculars and goggles, searching through the forest as well. A screech from the air ripped them out of their thoughts. They looked up and saw three large vultures swooping down towards them.

"I thought vultures only went after dead meat!" Robin shouted, jumping out of the way.

"Vultures are scavenger birds," Sakura informed them. "They hunt for dead and decaying animals and pick their bones clean."

"These are some very proactive hunters!" Wally shouted as they began running downhill.

"And super sized! How big can these things get?" Robin shouted.

"It all depends on the type! There are about sixteen different species. Tell me which one these are, and I'll tell ya!" Sakura answered.

"You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Robin asked.

"Totally," Sakura nodded.

"It's Cobra Venom!" Wally answered.

"And look! They have collars as well," Sakura pointed out, flipping forward as a vulture tried to grab her. The pinkette gasped as she lost her footing and began rolling downhill. She slid to a stop and jumped back up, running.

"We have to get rid of these things, now!" Robin shouted.

"How do you suggest we do that?" Wally questioned.

"Just fight!" Sakura answered, sliding to a stop and taking out several kunai. She threw them at the predators, narrowing her eyes. "Release!" An explosion went off, throwing the hunters back. Robin flipped through the trees, losing his opponent in the vines. Wally ran up the trees and jumped into the air. He curled up his body and shot through the night sky, taking a vulture out of the air. He hit another tree and swung down, tumbling onto the ground.

"Run!" Robin shouted, running through the treetops.

"Wally! Disappear!" Sakura shouted at the speedster. The redhead nodded and ran through the forest. Sakura and Robin jumped into the trees, following him.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

"Link established," M'gann spoke in their mind.

"Should he really be telling us what to do still?" Artemis scoffed. "Better question, should you really be doing what he says?"

"Please listen," Aqualad requested.

"Oh great, what I really need, Aqualad's voice in my head," Wally smirked.

"Hey Kaldur! We were just attacked by giant vultures!" Robin reported. "Of course since we're moles you probably think we just attacked ourselves."

"If wouldn't tell you even if he thinks you did," Artemis replied.

"Superboy, are you online, or pouting?" M'gann asked.

"I'm a little busy right now! Call back later!" Superboy answered gruffly.

"You know what really bothers me? The fact that he's so nonchalant about not telling us about the mole," Wally told them.

"He should be more chalant, way more chalant," Robin agreed.

"How can we be a team if he doesn't trust us with his secrets," Artemis huffed.

"Or Conner not trusting us to take care of ourselves!" M'gann added.

"How could he think one of us is the mole?" Wally shouted in disbelief.

"Yeah! I mean, we've known each other for years!" Robin agreed.

"Trust is a two way street pal!" Artemis growled.

"And everyone would hate it if we kept secrets from them!" M'gann huffed.

"Not that we would! Never!"Artemis added quickly.

"ENOUGH!" Cherī shouted through the mental link. Wally and Robin whipped back to see Sakura, her eyes slammed closed, and gripping a rock, which quickly turned into dust in her strong grip. "You are all acting like children! You are teenagers, mature teenagers that are a team! START ACTING LIKE IT! There is a reason that Kaldur did not tell you about the mole! Look at what has happened now that you know; everyone's fighting like a bunch of damn two-year-olds! If you guys had known about the fucking mole in the first place, what do you think would have happened, huh? The same thing that's happening now; you are turning against your own, creating alliances and not trusting anyone else."

"Well then, Ms. Perfect, what would you do? Hug and congratulate him for nearly killing us because he didn't tell us about the mole?" Artemis questioned.

"Kaldur put our lives at risk by keeping the mole a secret!" M'gann agreed.

"Enough," Kaldur commanded. "ENOUGH! Captain Marvel has been taken, and we must act like a team to get him back."

"Under your leadership? I don't think so," Wally replied.

"This is not up for debate." Kaldur told them darkly. "You all chose me as your leader, and I will see that through. If you want to choose a new leader after the mission, then I will gladly step down. But until then, I AM your leader, and you WILL follow orders."

"This is a mission, as such we should not let our personal feelings get in the way," Sakura told them. She stood up and dusted off her hands, looking at the two boys with a seriousness in her eyes that made them flinch back. "We can't afford to fall apart at the moment. I resent the fact that Kaldur kept this information from us, but at least I have the right sense to push my personal feelings aside and focus on the mission. I thought you guys had been trained to do that, to not let your emotions take control on a mission, but I guess I was wrong, about all of you." She turned around and stalked into the jungle, leaving Robin and Wally to hang their heads in shame. "Unless you shape up and get your act together, then after this mission, I am gone."


	21. Chapter 21

The group silently took positions around a building, examining it.

"I'll fly over," M'gann suggested.

"No can do," Kid Flash responded. "The energy field is like a dome, it has a roof."

"Those pylons are insulated, but a good shock and it could create a gap in the system," Robin announced.

"Do you know if the field extends into the ground?" Sakura questioned.

"Probably," Kid Flash nodded. "If this rogue shinobi of yours was smart enough to protect the airspace, he was probably smart enough to protect the ground."

"I see a target," Artemis announced, readying an arrow.

"Then be ready to hit it. All of you, be ready," Aqualad ordered. He ran down the hill, his tattoos glowing. He approached the force field and put his hands out, pumping electricity through it all.

"NOW!"Wally shouted, seeing the small hole. Artemis let go of her arrow and it shot through the air, going through the hole and hitting the button on the control pad.

"Really…? Putting a control pad on the outside of the building? Doesn't that seem a bit stupid…and suspicious?" Cherī asked.

"Shut up and let us do our job," Sakura huffed, walking down the hill.

"Uh-oh…" Robin gasped through the link. Just as soon as he said that there was a screech and alarms went off.

"Told ya!" Cherī shouted as monkeys began to jump off of the roof and attack them. Sakura growled and kicked one away from her.

"Shut up!" The pinkette growled, ducking as a monkey pounced at her. "We kinda need to concentrate here!"

"Remove their collars!" Aqualad shouted.

"Easier said than done," Robin growled, trying to push two monkeys off of him. Sakura took out a kunai and ran at him, slicing the collars off. The primates blinked before running off. Two more monkeys jumped at them but arrows shot over their heads, hitting the collars. Robin and Sakura both ducked out of the way as they fell onto the ground. The monkeys quickly ran off, having returned to normal. Robin took out two disks and threw them at the monkeys that were approaching Artemis.

The doors to the building slid open and a giant gorilla came out, holding a machine gun.

"Oh hell no!" Sakura shouted in disbelief. The gorilla turned around and grabbed the air. He tossed something onto the ground, revealing M'gann.

"Get your paws off her, you darn dirty ape!" Wally shouted, rushing at the primate.

"Really Wally? That's the only thing you could think of?" Sakura asked in disbelief as the speedster just bounced right off the large monkey. She ran at the gorilla and grabbed his arm, twisting it. He let out a screech of pain and dropped his gun for a second, punching the pinkette back. Robin and Artemis both threw their weapons, pushing the enemy back.

"You okay?" the bird named boy asked, crouching next to Sakura.

"Fine…" She hissed, jumping up.

"How do we get inside the lace with a pistol packing primate guarding it?" Artemis shouted.

"We push him back," Kaldur answered, swinging two spiked bats made out of water. Sakura nodded and ran at the gorilla, pulling her fist back; she jumped in the air and quickly delivered a punch to his face. She flipped over him and kicked him in the back. Kaldur nodded and swung a giant hammer at the mammal, sending him flying through the wall. The team walked through the hole in the wall, and saw a brain inside a robot roll over to the gorilla.

"It's the Brain," Wally gasped.

"Ugh, we can see that it's a brain," Artemis huffed.

"Not a brain, the Brain," Wally told her.

"In the flesh, so to speak," The Brain answered. "Mallah now." The gorilla held up a remote and three pillars jumped out of the ground. The group was forced to the ground, feeling an immense energy pushing them down.

"Miss Martian, Superboy, now!" Kaldur commanded. M'gann quickly used her telepathy to snatch the remote from Mallah's hands. She quickly turned the pylons off and the team jumped to their feet. The opposite wall crumbled and Superboy stood there, a giant white wolf next to him.

"Get him," the clone ordered lowly. The wolf jumped into action, pouncing on the gorilla. Mallah stood up, aiming his gun, only to be thrown off balance when Kid Flash ran into him, kicking him in the chest. He turned around, shooting at the red head. Robin flew through the air, swinging on his grappling hook; his feet collided with Mallah's head, spinning the monkey. Sakura used the opportunity to run at Mallah, swinging her legs at him. She rolled out of the way before the gorilla could fall on top of her. Miss Martian flew over, using her powers to pick him up and slam him onto the ground once more.

Mallah let out a roar and aimed his gun and her, firing bullets rapidly. Superboy let out a battle cry and punched the monkey, pushing him back. Artemis, Robin, and Kunoichi took advantage of the gorilla's distraction to throw explosives at him, blasting the pack of bullets off of his back. The team surrounded the two as Aqualad freed Captain Marvel. In turn, the Leaguer took the collar off of a tiger and the three joined them, glaring at the two villains.

Mallah let out another loud roar, glaring at them.

"Please, you really think that's going to scare us?" Sakura smirked, cracking her knuckles.

"Go ahead and try it, I hate monkeys," Superboy told them, hitting his fist with the palm of his hand.

"No Mallah, stand down," Brain ordered. His suit began opening, turning into a weapon. "Au revoir mes amis."

"Get down!" Wally shouted as the jar began letting off a high pitched ring. The room became pitch black for a moment before the lights slowly turned back on, revealing that the Brain and Mallah had disappeared. "Wait, so that big weapon thing…was a light switch?" Wally asked in confusion.

"That was kinda anticlimactic…" Sakura muttered.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

"There you go little guy," Sakura smiled petting the monkey as Kaldur removed the collar. The monkey ran off, back into the forest.

"Is that the last of them?" Marvel asked the tiger, rubbing his head. The tiger let out a roar and nodded. "Good, and we can count on you to keep an eye on the other animals?" the tiger roar once more. "Good boy, I'll come back for a visit and play with you. Promise." The tiger nodded and ran into the forest. "I think I'll call him Mr. Tawny."

"The rest of the pack is gone, what are you still doing here?" Superboy smiled, stroking the white wolf.

"I think he likes you," M'gann giggled.

"Can I keep him?" the clone asked happily, looking at her in excitement.

"Aw, that's so cute, how can you say no," Sakura giggled. "You look just like a little kid."

"Kunoichi, can I talk to you for a moment?" Robin asked, pulling her towards the bioship. He pulled her away from the team and turned to look at her. "Were you serious? About quitting?"

"Dead," Sakura answered, crossing her arms. "I can understand feeling betrayed by what Aqualad did, but honestly, you guys are all older than me and there I was acting the most mature about everything. When you're on a mission you push your personal feelings aside and listen to your leader, that's how things work. If you let your emotions take control, like how they did, you do stupid things like separate and refuse to listen to orders."

"Well then why did you come with us? Why didn't you stay with Aqualad?" Robin asked.

"Because, I knew that it was pointless, and I already told him where I stood on the secret keeping. Besides, you and Kid Flash are reckless, you need a healer on standby 24/7," the pinkette smirked, placing her hands on her hips.

"We do not," Robin huffed, crossing his arms. Sakura smirked and placed a hand on his arm, her hands glowing green. She removed her hands and showed that there was slight blood on it.

"Like I said," the pinkette smirked, heading towards the bioship.

"Hey Aqualad…why did you keep the mole from us?" Robin asked, attracting everyone's attention.

"The person that told me was Sportsmaster," Aqualad answered.

"What? How could you trust him?" Artemis gasped.

"I did not," Aqualad told her firmly. "But it seemed like he was trying to divide the team by using false information."

"Considering how this mission went, he almost succeeded," Robin sighed. "But, you had to know that there might have been a small possibility that there was some truth to it."

"Yes, I did," Kaldur nodded. "In the case that it was true, I did not want to alert the traitor that I knew."

"Hate to say it, but it makes sense," Robin sighed. Sakura glared at him and shoved her elbow into the ebony haired boy's ribs, making him yelp in pain.

"If you want, I am still prepared to step down," Kaldur informed them.

"All in favor of keeping Aqualad as leader," Wally smiled, raising his hands. Everyone else raised their hand as well, smiling at the Atlantean.

"Well, looks unanimous," Marvel smiled, shaking his hand. "Well, I'll see ya guys tomorrow."

"You're not coming back with us?" Kaldur asked in shock.

"Nope," Marvel told them before shooting into the air.

"There's something about Captain Marvel that just reminds me of a kid," Sakura muttered as she and Robin entered the ship.

"So, what are you gonna call him?" M'gann smiled at Conner.

"What's wrong with 'Wolf'?" The clone asked.

"Its generic," Wally answered. "But, it'll work."

"Yay he has a name," Sakura cheered, sitting in her seat.

"Well, let's go home," M'gann smiled, taking her place.


	22. Chapter 22

Mount Justice

October 1

"Go Birdie!" Sakura cheered as Robin and Kaldur sparred. Points were given and taken away from the two fighters as they moved, dodging and jumping out of the way of attacks. The two jumped apart and smiled, nodding to each other as the training simulation ended. "Nice job," Sakura smiled, running over to them. She smiled and jumped on Robin, giving him a hug. The boy wonder gasped and stumbled backwards as she pulled him down, smiling happily.

"You seem to be more childlike today," Kaldur noted.

"Yeah, I got a call from my friend Naruto today, I'm really happy about it," Sakura smiled. The three grew quiet as M'gann and Conner entered the room, Wolf trailing behind them.

"You guys know that they're a couple right?" Robin smirked.

"I believe I knew before they did," Kaldur answered.

"I've known since they came back from Belle Reve," Sakura boasted proudly. "M'gann showed me a memory of their kiss."

"Really?" Robin asked in shock. The pinkette nodded proudly, smirking in pride. Artemis and Wally strolled in, approaching them. "Do we tell them?"

"It is not our place to do so," Kaldur warned him.

"You like to suck the fun out of a lot of things, don't you," Sakura pouted.

"Okay, if Zatara is our babysitter, why is he still here?" Wally grumbled, pointing at Captain Marvel. "And why is he eating my snacks?"

Recognized Batman

"Computer, national news," the bat themed hero ordered. A holoscreen appeared showing a news feed of a woman named Cat Grant.

"The first attack was short lived, but Metropolis was only granted a short break," Cat announced. The screen changed, showing video footage of vines wrapping around a building, squeezing it until it collapsed. "And despite the intervention from Superman and the Justice League, it doesn't look like this will end anytime soon."

"Are we going out to help?" Robin asked.

"No, the League has everything under control, I'm here for something else," Batman answered. "According to the intel you've gathered, Sportsmaster has provided Cobra with the Blockbuster formula."

"And Cobra combined it with Bane's Venom, creating Cobra Venom," Wally continued.

"And the Brain used Cobra Venom to create his animal army," Robin added.

"As well as give Wolf an upgrade," Conner reminded them, stroking the animal's neck.

"The animals wore collars very much like the inhibitor collars at Belle Reve penitentiary," M'gann informed them.

"Batman, is it possible that that plant thing is on the drug as well?" Artemis asked.

"I had Green Lantern run an analysis, and the veins do contain trace amounts of a Cobra Venom variant," Batman answered.

"This cannot be treated as coincidences," Aqualad realized. "Unrelated villains are working together on a worldwide level."

"Exactly," Batman said with a nod. "It is clear that there is now a secret society of supervillains. Metropolis is just the beginning."

"No kidding," Robin answered, typing away on a keyboard. "There have been reports of plant creatures in Gotham City, Star City, Paris, Taipei and even-" He was cut off when the zeta tubes whirled to life.

Access granted

Ino Yamanaka

Authorization Tsunade

"Ino?" Sakura asked in shock as the blond girl entered the room, a hand on her hip.

"Billboard brow!" The blond growled, storming towards the pinkette. "Lady Tsunade sent me here to ask you a question. Why the hell are there mutant plant monsters attacking the village? No doubt this has something to do with you and your masked friends!"

"Even the hidden villages," Robin finished lamely.

"We didn't do anything, Ino-pig," Sakura growled at the ponytailed girl. The screens suddenly turned to static, catching everyone's attention.

"Dude," Wally called.

"It's not me, I'm not doing it," Robin said, frantically pushing at the buttons. "The satellite signal is being jammed. They all are!" The static suddenly stopped and revealed the chalky white face of the Joker. He tapped the glass of the camera before pulling back with a sadistic smirk.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem for a message from…the Injustice League," the Joker let out a cackle and turned the camera on the rest of the supervillains.

"We are responsible for the attacks on your precious cities," the man in front said with a heavy accent. "If you wish to save them from destruction all we require is a ransom of ten billion American dollars. The United Nations has received delivery instructions. And there is no time limit, take as long as you want to gather the money. But be warned, the longer you take…" The camera faced the Joker once more, allowing them to see his insane smile.

"The more fun we get to have," The Joker cackled before the screen turned to static and was cut off.

"Oh I knew it had something to do with you and your friends," Ino huffed, crossing her arms.

"Hey, how is this my fault?" Sakura shouted at her.

"Roger that Aquaman, have the UN prepare the ransom as a back up," Batman ordered into his comm. Robin pressed the keys on his keyboard, rewinding the footage.

"Let's see, Count Vertigo, the Joker, Poison Ivy, Ultra Humanite, Atomic Skull, Black Atom, and Wotan. That's seven big league villains," Robin announced. "They're probably behind everyone and everything we've faced so far."

"Well, there's your secret society," Wally muttered.

"Not much of a secret anymore," Ino and Artemis scoffed.

"What are you still doing here…?" Sakura grumbled at the purple clad girl.  
"Perhaps, after India, they knew that we would figure who was behind it all and they thought there was no more point in hiding any longer," Kaldur suggested.

"Well, they made a big mistake in coming out in the open," Wally smirked. "I say we go kick some plant butt!"

"The Justice League will handle the plants, I have a different mission for you," Batman announced.

"Oh man," Wally grumbled in disappointment. Artemis scowled and quickly punched him in the arm, shutting him up.

"With the plants attacking so many cities all at once, they must have a central power point. Your job is to find the point and destroy it," Batman informed them.

"Well great, you have a plan, the world will be saved and that means I can leave," Ino sighed, walking towards the tubes.

"Not so fast Ino-pig," Sakura called, grabbing her wrist. "Are you still good with plants?" Ino raised an eyebrow in confusion before realization dawned on her.

"Oh no! I'm not going to help you! These are your baddies, your mess! I am so not using my powers," the shinobi protested.

"You have powers?" Artemis asked in shock. Ino sighed, her shoulders slumping.

"I can control plants, no big deal," the blonde huffed, crossing her arms.

"Then you will go with them," Batman told her.

"No way, you're not my teacher, only Asuma-sensei can give me orders like that!" Ino shouted. Batman placed a hand to his ear.

"Tsunade, can you spare Ino? I plan on sending the team to the central point and destroying the source," Batman spoke into the comm. "Very well." He turned off the comm. and faced the blond, crossing his own arms. Not even a moment later, Ino grimaced as her cell phone went off. Sakura smirked as her friend answered it, bracing herself.

"Hello?" she muttered in defeat. "Yes Lady Tsunade…yeah I'll give a full mission report when it's done…right…bye…" the blonde hung up and glared at Sakura and Batman. "I hate you both."

"Batman, you do realize what you're sending them to do," Zatara said nervously.

"They're ready," Batman assured him.

"Ready for what?" Wally asked. "Ow!" He hissed as he rubbed his arm, glaring at Artemis. "Will you stop that?"

"Hello Wally! If the League is fighting the plants, who do you think we'll be fighting?" Wally stared at her in confusion, causing the archer to groan. She grabbed his hair and forcefully jerked his head to face the screen, pointing at the villains.

"Ohhh…" the red head realized softly.

"Wow…he's an idiot…" Ino deadpanned, glaring at them.

"I hope you are correct," Zatara sighed.

"I am. I trust that you will be able to locate them?" Batman questioned the sorcerer.

"Indeed. Wotan's involvement suggests that sorcery is part of how the plants are controlled. Robin, if you would provide the holomap for me." Robin quickly punched in the command and a holographic globe appeared. Zatara held out his hands, chanting the spell. "There! That is where you will find the Injustice League's central system."

"Coordinates locked, the Louisiana Bayou," Robin announced.

"We will be on our way," Aqualad nodded. Sakura smirked and grabbed Ino's wrist and dragged her off.

\-------------------------------------------------------

"Wow, I can't believe that still fits you," Sakura smirked, looking at Ino. The blonde glared at Sakura through her mask. Ino's hair was in a short braided ponytail with a piece over her blue eyes. She had a decorated dark purple mask covering her eyes. She wore a dark purple halter top that was like Artemis's. The sides were black and the shirt was loose. She had on a dark purple skirt with black sides. Underneath the uniform she wore a black bodysuit that gave her short sleeves and went to her knees. She wore high heeled ankle boots with dark purple bows. She also had on dark purple fingerless gloves and a matching utility belt around her waist.

"Shut up," Ino huffed, crossing her arms.

"You know, you could have borrowed my outfit," Sakura snickered.

"Please, and be seen wearing the same outfit as you? No way," Ino huffed.

"Wait, it seemed like you hated costumed heroes, why do you have one?" Conner asked. Ino flinched, her cheeks turning pink.

"None of your business," she stammered.

"Ino wanted to be one when she was ten," Sakura snickered. "She was absolutely jealous when she found out Kakashi sent my team to Batman. I got Sasuke and got to meet the famous dark knight and his sidekick. Everything she wants, I get. But, she's the one that actually came into superpowers."

"This was what I wanted as my shinobi uniform at first, but then I decided on something a bit more comfortable," Ino informed them.

"Why would you bring that old costume anyway?" The pinkette asked with a knowing look.

"Shut up!" Ino shrieked, her face turning pink.

"Oh come on, I'm just having a little fun," Sakura smirked.

"Look, can we just get this over with?" Ino growled, as the doors to the hangar opened.

"All aboard," M'gann smiled, waking up the bioship.

\---------------------------------------------------------

Bayou Bartholomew

October 1

"So, what's in the duffel bag?" Wally asked, pointing at the bag next to Kaldur's feet.

"Plan B," the Atlantean answered.

"And 'plan B' would be…?" Ino pressed.

"A secret," Sakura answered.

"Ugh," M'gann groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead.

"Are you alright?" Conner asked with worry.

"I feel a little dizzy," the green skinned girl answered.

"Martians can get airsick?" Robin asked in shock.

"She is looking greener than usual," Wally noted. Sakura jumped out of her seat and rushed over to her.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.

"It's not me, it's her," M'gann groaned.

"I feel fine, do you feel fine?" Artemis asked the pinkette. Sakura nodded and turned to Ino.

"Other than being here against my will? I'm fine," Ino said harshly.

"No, not you girls, her, the bioship," M'gann answered. "She's trying to shield but I don't know what from!" The ship turned on its side, and flew back and forth trying to keep steady. Sakura gripped onto M'gann chair, trying to stay upright. She pumped chakra into her feet and ran to her seat, sliding in. The straps crossed over her chest just as the ship shot upwards, flipped through the air, and tumbled across the Bayou. Vines wrapped around the ship, pulling it underwater.


	23. Chapter 23

"Ino!" Sakura shouted as the ship was slowly pulled underwater.

"I'm trying," the blonde replied. "But plants in a flower shop are a lot different than this monster!" M'gann let out another gasp as a hole was punched into the top of the bioship.

"He's hurting her!" Conner jumped out of his seat and flew towards Black Atom, punching him in the face. Water started pouring into the hole, quickly filling up the room.

"There is no way I'm nearly drowning three missions in a row!" Artemis shouted, taking out a breathing tube. She handed one to Wally, who accepted it. Sakura Robin and Ino all took one out of their utility belts and placed it in their mouths.

"M'gann, you have to create a hatch," Conner told her.

"Ugh! Hello Megan!" the girl muttered, slapping her head. Gills appeared on her neck and she dove underwater, gently touching the bottom of the ship. A hole opened up they wasted no time swimming out. They climbed on the shore and crouch down, trying not to be seen.

"She's gone into shock," M'gann announced. "She's going to need time to recover." Everyone gripped their heads as a pressure weighed down on it, crushing their minds.

"Vertigo…" Wally hissed.

"Count Vertigo to you, actually," the villain corrected.

"This is why I hate the superhero life," Ino groaned, rubbing her head. She quickly jumped out of the way before anyone could attack her.

"Miss Martian, Robin, Kunoichi, Ino, disappear and complete the mission! We will keep them distracted," Aqualad ordered. Ino nodded and quickly jumped into the forest with Sakura. They were met with Miss Martin and Robin and quickly began walking through the forest, following Robin.

"I've lost contact with the others…" M'gann announced.

"Should we go back for them?" Ino questioned them.

"Sorry, that's not our job," Robin told them.

"We were ordered to complete the mission, that is what we will do," Sakura reminded her. "Heroes share similar rules to shinobi."

"Here is our job," Robin announced, pulling back some leaves. The group saw a large, observatory like building with a giant plant growing out of the glass. "The Injustice League HQ."

"That plant on top, it's like an antenna," Ino announced. "It's controlling the other plants. We take it down and they all go. I can't do anything from here though."

"Well hello there," a voice smiled. Thick vines wrapped around the four teens and turned them to face Ivy. Humanite stepped up behind her, lifting up a gun. "Now bye-bye." M'gann's eyes glowed green and Humanite suddenly lowered his weapon, hitting the vines. The four jumped to the ground, and ran into the forest.

"Sorry Boy Wonder, but I'm putting an end to your little mission," Ivy smirked, raising her hands. Vines shot out of the ground, rocketing towards Robin. Ino slid in front of him and threw her arms to the side; the vines obeyed her command, moving away from her.

"Sorry, but you're my opponent," Ino said darkly, her eyes narrowing.

"Oh, how cute, you think you can go toe to toe with me?" Ivy smirked. "Who are you anyway?"

"You don't need to know my name," Ino growled. She brought her hands up and vines of her own shot out of the ground. These vines were slimmer and decorated with flowers and leaves. Ivy growled and used her powers to slice the plants apart.

"Sa-Kunoichi, I need a little help here!" Ino shouted.

"Trying to, but you're not doing a good job of holding her back," Sakura shouted, jumping out of the way of a vine.

"Face it, compared to me, you're nothing," Ivy smirked, shooting vines towards Ino, while attacking Robin and Sakura. The two tumbled out of the way as two vines shot at them. A cluster of vines shot towards them but they were quickly destroyed.

"Robin, Kunoichi, Ino, she's made contact," the Martian announced.

"Who? Artemis?" Robin asked.

"No," M'gann responded with a slight smirk in her voice. The three teens ducked out of the way as vines came towards them.

"Ino come with us! We're going to take out the antenna!" Sakura ordered.

"I can't just leave Ivy! She'll notice!" Ino shouted back, tossing a vine at her. They heard shouting and Ivy's head snapped over to the observatory, a smirk on her lips. Ino shrugged and jumped into the forest, meeting up with the others. "So, what are we doing?"

"Taking out the big plant," Robin answered as they stealthily moved through the trees. He and sakura both took out explosives as they came around the building. Ino took out a few kunais of her own and threw them at the giant plant. Her kunais were joined by Robin's explosive disks and Sakura's paper bomb wrapped kunais.

"I feel so bad doing this," Ino whispered through the link. "The poor thing never wanted to be used for evil…and now we're destroying it based on something it didn't want to do."

"Ino, now is not the time for you to feel sorry for the thing, just say the command!" Sakura ordered. Ino nodded and the two shinobi lifted their fingers up, their eyes narrowing.

"Release!" they ordered together. The kunais exploded at the same time as Robin's disks. They jumped, or in M'gann's case, flew, to the top of the building looking down at Poison Ivy.

"Timber," Robin smirked.

"Now…what were you saying about me not being in your league?" Ino asked with a smirk. M'gann was shot out of the sky and the three teens turned around to see Atomic Skull and Joker glaring at them.

"Time to go," Sakura shouted, sliding down the glass dome. Ino and Robin followed her lead, and they jumped down next to M'gann helping her up.

"Kill them! Kill them all!" Vertigo barked out. Sakura and Ino flipped out of the way as vines shot at them.

"You will pay for what you did to my baby!" Ivy screamed at the two girls.

"Ino," Sakura hissed at the blond as she dodged another vine.

"I'm trying," Ino shouted, holding her hands out and trying to push the vines back. "I've never fought someone for control over a plant before!"

"What about before?" Sakura shouted, jumping onto a vine and slamming her kunai into it.

"She wasn't expecting me," Ino answered. "It was easier, but now she knows and she won't be fooled by my attacks!" She swung some of her own vines at Ivy, but the woman simply batted them away.

"How could you do that to my poor baby? You control plants like me, why don't you understand?" Ivy shouted.

"Because you're a psycho," Ino shouted. "I control them to help people smile! You control them for your own sick amusement!"

"You tell her Ino-pig," Sakura cheered, ducking under a vine, she gasped as lighting shot her back, pushing her down. Ino's eyes widened as the same happened to her and she was pinned down by Wotan's mystic force. The shock stopped and the two girls stood up, looking at Aqualad, who held a golden helmet in his hands.

"The Helmet of Fate," Wotan gasped.

"Aqualad NO!" Wally shouted, only to be slammed into a tree by Black Atom. Aqualad slipped the helmet on and transformed into Doctor Fate.

"Wotan you are mine!" Fate shouted, flying into the air. Ivy turned towards Ino, smirking at her.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," she muttered, swinging vines at her. Sakura jumped out of the way and slid into the tree line. She jumped up and spotted the Joker slowly approaching Robin, a knife in his hand.

"Birdie…no…" Sakura gasped, running over to him. She swung onto the tree limb and perched above the mad clown.

"I've always wanted to carve this particular bird," the Joker cackled.

"You'll never get the chance!" Sakura shouted, flipped off the branch, and kicking him in the face. She used it as a springboard and flipped back, landing gracefully on her feet. "Stay the hell away from him…" she growled, taking out her kunais.

"Oh, territorial are we," Joker smirked. "Back off little missy, I saw him first. He's mine."

"You won't touch him," Sakura growled, jumping towards him. She swung her kunais, attempting to slice the mad clown. Joker cackled and dodged her blows, using his knife to strike back. Sakura growled and swung her leg, kicking him in the side. Joker stumbled over, and rolled out of the way and Robin jumped towards him, swinging his arms down. Joker cackled and stood up, running towards the Boy Wonder. Sakura's eyes widened and she ran at him, tackling the clown to the swampy ground.

"Blossom!" Robin shouted out in surprise. Sakura jumped off of him and threw a kunai but the clown rolled out of the way. Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously, her eyes flashing amber for a second. She ran at Joker, her kunais raised. Joker laughed at her and held out his own blades, stopping her in her tracks. He swiped one blade against her stomach and kicked her back. The pinkette slammed into a tree and groaned, holding the wounded area. Robin's eyes widened behind his mask and he threw a disk at the Joker, nearly cutting the clown's forehead.

"Hey! Did you forget about me already?" he asked, jumping in front of the pinkette.

"Not for a minute," Joker cackled, swinging his blades at the bird boy. Robin dodged the blows and flipped out of the way, taking the Joker away from Sakura. The Joker cackled at him and stepped closer. He swung his knife, narrowly missing the Boy Wonder's side. The Joker swung out once more, scratching his chest. Robin backed up, placing a hand over his chest, hissing in pain. The Joker's mad grin grew larger and he lifted one of his knives out of his hand, only to have it knocked away by a batarang. The Justice League slowly descended to the ground, surrounding the villains.

"It's over," Batman announced. The supervillains raised their hands in surrender, knowing that they were beat.

"There will be another day," Count Vertigo growled.

"Another day?" The Joker gasped in anger. "There won't be 'another day'! Not for any of us!" The clown raised his hands and vines came out of the ground. The red flowers opened up, spilling out a green smoke.

"Joker venom spores! Don't breathe!" Batman ordered. The caped crusader swung his fist, punching the Joker out. The group quickly covered their mouths and nose, trying not to breathe in the spores.

"Fear not!" Fate announced, summoning an Ankh symbol. The gas lifted into the air, and quickly disappeared into the symbol, cleaning the air. "Fate has intervened!"

\---------------------------------------------------

"You okay?" Robin asked the pinkette. Sakura held out her arm as Batman placed a needle in her arm.

"Yeah, the cut wasn't that deep," she nodded, placing a hand on her now healed stomach. "What about you, you got scratched." Robin looked at his chest, running a gloved finger over the thin red line.

"Like you said, it's just a scratch, no big deal," the boy wonder shrugged, holding out his arm for his mentor. Batman took out another syringe and placed the needle in Robin's skin.

"There, if poison was on those knives, it's gone now," Batman told them.

"What were you thinking!" Wally shouted, catching everyone's attention. "How could you let him put on that helmet! He's going to be trapped there forever! Nabu won't let him go!"

"What…?" Sakura asked in shock. Fate looked at them all for a moment, not saying a single word. His hands reached up and he pulled off the helmet, revealing Kaldur.

"He let you go?" Wally asked in shock.

"He almost did not," the Atlantean confessed. "But your friend Kent Nelson was very helpful. He says 'hello', by the way."

"Onii-chan!" Sakura squealed, latching onto him. Kaldur flinched in surprise before smiling and ruffling her hair. "You scared me!"

"I apologize," Kaldur smiled, rubbing her back. Sakura giggled and let go of him and went back to Robin, placing a hand on his chest to heal him.

"Hey, it's just a scratch," he laughed, squirming under her healing touch. Sakura smiled and dropped her hand.

"We're done here," Batman announced, catching the attention of the teens. "The supervillain secret society has been neutralized. As for your performance in the mission, it was…satisfactory." The teens looked at each other with small smiles.

\----------------------------------------------

Mount Justice

October 2

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked. "I'm sure Lady Tsunade wouldn't object to you staying here."

"No way," Ino smirked, waving her off. "I'm not cut out for this flashy fighting. I'm perfect for the ninja life. But it was fun meeting you guys."

"Feel free to come back for a visit anytime," M'gann smiled. "I can make cookies for you." Behind her the team discreetly shook their heads. Ino looked back at the smiling Martian and placed a smile of her own on her face.

"Thanks, but I have to decline," Ino muttered, waving her hand. "A girl has to keep up her figure." She flipped her ponytail and winked at the group.

"Oh, you won't have any trouble with that," Wally winked back.

"I like you," Ino giggled flirtingly.

"Hey, back off," Sakura growled, pushing her towards the zeta tube. "He has a costume! Go chase after Shikamaru."

"Please, he can't keep his eyes off of Temari," Ino grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Is it just me or is there more drama since I left?" Sakura muttered.

"I think it's just you," Ino smiled. "Alright, well, call me some time," the blonds smiled, hugging her pinkette friend.

"Kay, bye Ino!" Sakura giggled.

"Oh and when you and Robin get together, tell me immediately," Ino whispered in her ear, making Sakura's face turn beet red. "Okay, bye everyone!" She giggled, running through the zeta tube.

"Ino-pig!" Sakura shouted as the blond left. "I'm going to murder you!"

"What'd she say?" Robin asked in curiosity. Sakura looked at him and felt her face heat up even more.

"N-Nothing!" She shouted before running out of the room. Artemis and M'gann looked at each other before laughing and chasing after their female teammate in excitement.

"What was that about?" Robin asked, looking at his teammates.

"How should we know?" Conner asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"But you have super-hearing," Wally pointed out.

"Wasn't paying attention," Conner responded.

"I believe it might be something you find out soon enough," Kaldur assured the Boy Wonder.

"Wait! You know what that was about? Tell me!" Robin demanded.

"Sorry, it is not my place to tell," Kaldur responded, walking out of the room.

"Kaldur! Tell me what Ino said!" Robin shouted, running after his leader.


	24. Chapter 24

Mount Justice

October 10

Sakura flipped backwards, avoiding a punch Superboy sent her way. She held her arms up and blocked an attack before aiming a punch at his chest. Superboy jumped back, creating distance between them.

"Good job everyone," Black Canary smiled, approaching the ring. The fighting couples stopped, and faced towards her. "In fact this week has been very productive "

"Yeah, for everyone except Kid Faker," Artemis smirked, looking over at Wally. The red headed speedster was relaxing in a recliner, lemonade in hand. There were a few magazines on a small table next to him. His right arm was in a plain white cast.

"Hey! I got my arm broken by the Injustice League, remember?" He muttered, waving the arm in the air.

"Yeah, and you refused to let me heal you," Sakura smirked, placing a hand on her hipped. "You just crave all the attention Captain Marvel's giving you. It's the only attention you'll ever get."

"Gross! Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Wally asked in horror.

"Ugh, that is so wrong," Robin muttered. "Besides, the Captain isn't a pedophile." Artemis and Sakura laughed at the joke, and their laughter increased once they noticed Wally's face was red, and he was yelling at them. Kaldur, M'gann, and Conner couldn't resist giving off a small chuckle as well.

"Alright alright, settle down," Canary called, with a playful smile on her face. "I've had a fun time being your den-mother this week."

"We've had a fun time too," Sakura told her excitedly.

"Some more than others," Robin smirked. Without missing a beat or changing her star struck expression, Sakura delivered a swift kick to his leg, which he stepped away from.

Recognized Zatara

The magician entered the cave and quickly waved his hand, typing away on a holographic keyboard.

Access granted

Zatanna Zatara

Authorization Zatara

The tubes whirled to life and a young teen wearing a school uniform stepped out nervously. She had black hair that went past her shoulders. She also had blues eyes that showed how nervous she was.

"Zatanna, this is the team. Team, this is Zatanna, my daughter," Zatara introduced.

"Why does this feel like a play date?" Sakura whispered to Artemis.

"You're not alone in that feeling," the blond agreed.

"Hi there," M'gann smiled, floating over to her. "My name's-"

"Robin!" The boy wonder smiled, stepping in front of her. "I mean, I'm Robin, that's Megan. And there's also Wally, Sakura, Artemis, Kaldur and Conner," the boy introduced, gesturing to each of the teens. The boys gave her friendly smiles, and Artemis nodded along with Sakura. The pinkette crossed her arms and looked away, glaring at the ground.

"Somebody's jealous," Artemis whispered in the pinkette's ear.

"Shut up, I am not," Sakura hissed back. "Besides, why would I be jealous?"

"Yeah, tell me that when you're not pulling a Superboy," the blond smirked. Sakura glared at her and wrapped her arms around Artemis's, giving it a tight squeeze. The blond winced, relaxing when the pinkette loosened her grip, but did not let go of her arm.

"So, are you uh joining the team?" Robin asked excitedly.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Zatara chuckled, taking off his hat. "This is a visit. Though I am sorry I missed training. Zatara could have benefitted from it."

"Are you guys getting the impression that we're still on probation when it comes to Zatara?" M'gann asked, setting up the mental link.

"I think you set that link up in record time," Sakura smirked lightly, causing the Martian to beam.

"It's not just Zatara. We must be on probation with the League. Why else would Marvel still be hanging around?"Conner asked.

"Because we like having him around," Wally answered.

"More like you adore having him because he's like your servant" Artemis corrected with a smirk.

"And your point is…" Wally asked, not seeing a problem with it.

"You're abusing Captain Marvel! Oh, I should heal your arm, break it then heal it again!" Sakura growled, shaking her fist in front of him.

"It almost makes one nostalgic for Red Tornado as our permanent supervisor," Kaldur sighed, crossing his arms.

"Um, I'm actually not complaining," Sakura told them. "Black Canary is an awesome den mother." The pinkette bit her lip and sighed glancing at the blonde woman before turning back to the conversation.

"Well, at least Red Tornado trusted us," Robin interjected.

"Hey! Black Canary totally trusts us!" Sakura protested.

"Well I say we shouldn't have trusted Tornado! That machine nearly killed M-all of us!" Superboy shouted, swinging his arm out in frustration.

"Watch it, you almost hit Birdie," Sakura told him.

"Sorry," Conner sighed.

"No prob I would have been able to dodge it," Robin assured him.

"Can we forget about Red Tornado for a moment?" Sakura asked. "Who else feels like Zatara brought Zatanna here like it's a play date?"

"You are certainly not alone," Cherī muttered.

"Yeah, I'm getting a heavy feeling of that," Artemis agreed, lifting her hand.

"I got the play date vibe too," Wally confessed, raising his wrapped arm.

"So not only are we on probation, but Zatara still thinks of us as children," Conner grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Are you guys having a psychic conversation?" Zatanna asked. The team glanced at her while the adults looked at them with a disapproving look. "I can't decide if that's cool or really rude. Kinda depends."

"We weren't talking about you," Sakura told her.

"Well, we were talking about how it feels like you were brought here for a play date," Artemis corrected.

"But that was after we were talking about Red Tornado," Conner interjected. "He attacked us weeks ago and the League hasn't told us anything."

"The League is searching for him," Canary assured them, "as well as the other androids that attacked the cave, and the man that created them, T. O. Morrow. Batman has made tracking them down our top priority."

"But you haven't found any of that," Robin huffed.

"No we haven't, not yet. But you must understand this, Red Tornado is League business, you are not to try and go after him," Canary ordered.

"Why don't you take Zatanna for a…" he trailed off, noticing that his daughter was gone.

"She's cuddling with the scary mutant wolf," Sakura deadpanned, pointing at the girl. "And Wolf sounds like he's purring."

"Why don't you take her for a tour of the cave," Zatara suggested.

"Oh, we're going for a tour?" Marvel asked in excitement as he entered the room, a plate of nachos in his hands.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd be able to take Wolf outside, he needs some exercise," Conner suggested. "We'll join you guys in a few."

"Sure!" Marvel smiled, running outside with Wolf.

"Wait…my nachos," Wally protested. His protests came to a halt when Conner grabbed his shirt and pulled him out of the room with the rest of the team.

\-----------------------------------------------

The team walked through the kitchen. Zatanna walked beside Robin, now wearing a lilac colored tank top and white pants.

"When did you-? How did you-?" Robin gasped, looking at her new outfit.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Zatanna Zatara, her superpower is changing her clothes in the blink of an eye," Sakura muttered under her breath.

"We're not really going on a tour of the cave, are we?" Zatanna asked with disdain in her voice.

"No, we're not," Conner grumbled. "We're hunting down that machine."

"Yes, we are," Kaldur agreed.

"Oh, so you can speak out loud," Zatanna smirked.

"What about new girl?" Artemis asked.

"I'm sure Zatanna won't tell that we left," Robin defended.

"I can't tell," Zatanna smirked. "Especially not when you're kidnapping me, how could I tell anyone?"

"Oh, she's going to fit in great," Artemis smiled.

"Not perfectly because she doesn't have a red ribbon, but yeah, she'll fit in," Sakura nodded.

"'Red ribbon'?" the new girl asked in confusion, raising an eyebrow.

"Sakura and I both wear red ribbons as headbands when in our civilian clothes, actually, Sakura does all the time," M'gann explained before gesturing to the red ribbon in Sakura's hair even though she was in her uniform. "And we're like sisters, so that common thing held us together. So, once Artemis felt like our sister, we gave her a red ribbon." The archer nodded and flipped her ponytail over her shoulder, showing off the ribbon that held it in place.

"It's something for the girls, since we're so close," Artemis smiled.

"But don't worry; we won't ostracize you because we haven't given you one," Sakura assured her.

"Okay," Zatanna muttered, still slightly confused.

\-------------------------------------------------------

"M'gann, the bioship wasn't authorized for departure," Canary said through the ship's speakers.

"Oh, we're kidnapping Zatanna!" M'gann replied happily. "To show her around Happy Harbor!" she added quickly. "Don't worry we'll be back soon."

"Alright, have fun," Canary replied uncertainly as communication was cut off.

"Alright, so Batman is the world's greatest detective and even he hasn't been able to find the Reds and Morrow," Robin announced.

"Yeah, and he's looked in every logical location that they might be, and nothing," Sakura continued. She glanced upwards and growled slightly before shaking her head and continuing.

"In order to find them, or at least do better, we need to think of an illogical place."

"You know, a truly dumb idea," the two ninjas chorused, smiling at Wally. The rest of the teens turned to face Wally, giving him an expectant look.

"As a matter of fact, I have a dumb idea," Wally smirked. "And…dumb as in good."

\----------------------------------------------------

Belle Reve

"Warden Strange owes us a favor for stopping the prison break last month," M'gann explained, to the heroes, and the orange clad prisoner across the table. "We decided to make use of that and get five minutes with you."

"Spill it Ivo, how do we find Morrow and the Reds?" Conner growled.

"Now, why would I know that?" Ivo scoffed, leaning back in his chair.

"Because, and now here's a dumb idea," Wally said, "You and Morrow are big time rivals in the evil android game. Who else would keep tabs on what his rival was doing, as well as where."

"It's actually pretty common where I come from," Sakura smirked. "There's even a bingo book on the most lethal fighters and their locations."

"I see your point," Ivo nodded. "Perhaps I should use different words. Why would I tell you where he is?"

"He knows," Aqualad muttered, turning to M'gann. "Do what you must." M'gann leaned forward, her eyes glowing green.

"Please, like I've never face a telepath before," Ivo smirked, crossing his arms.

"Well then, if you're so good against a mind reader, let's see how well you are against my interrogation tactics," Sakura smirked, walking around behind him. She took out a kunai and placed it against his shoulder. "I don't know if you know this Mr. Ivo, but I happen to be a medic, meaning I know every pressure point in the human body, and which one would deliver the most pain. Add in a blade, and you've got a world of hurt. Do you really want to test me?"

"Please, you can't hurt me, it's against your hero oath," Ivo smirked.

"I took no such oath," Sakura smirked. "In my line of work, I kill and interrogate people for a living. It's my job."

"Trulb tuo S'worrom eurt noitacol," Zatanna said, leaning on the table and glaring at him. Ivo's head snapped forward and his mouth opened.

"Morrow's in a secret underground base located in Yellowstone National Park, its 100 meters south of Old Faithful," Ivo told them. He looked down at his mouth in shock before covering it as well. The team looked on in shock, surprised at what just happened.

"Wait a minute, what just happened?" Ivo asked in shock. "How did you do that?"

\-------------------------------------------------------

The group walked out of Belle Reve, heading towards the cloaked bioship.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Artemis asked, noticing that Sakura was trailing behind the group, with her arms crossed.

"I almost had him," the pinkette hissed quietly. "Ivo was about to tell us everything he knew about Morrow and then Zatanna just uses her powers and takes away my fun, er, Cherī's fun."

"Oh, are you sure that's the only reason?" Artemis smirked.

"Yes, Cherī's the psycho, not me," Sakura nodded.

"No, I mean you, personally. Are you sure it's not because your," Artemis cleared her throat and gestured to Robin and Zatanna, who were talking animatedly, "precious 'Birdie' is spending so much time with the new girl?"

"No, why would I be jealous?" Sakura snapped quietly, crossing her arms.

"I never said anything about being jealous," Artemis smirked.

"You were implying it," Sakura replied.

"No, what I was implying was that you were upset Robin wasn't paying attention to you," Artemis corrected.

"I'm not," Sakura huffed, crossing her arms and quickening her pace. Artemis quickened her pace as well, getting on the bioship with the rest of the team.


	25. Chapter 25

"Block all external communications," Kaldur ordered. "No doubt Black Canary, Zatara, and Batman as well, will hear about our…visit to Professor Ivo. We do not have much time left."

"Look, I'm trying to be all nonchalant here," Robin cleared his throat, turning towards Zatanna.

"Why? You can be as 'chalant' as you like," Zatanna winked. Sakura bit back a growl and scowled took a deep breath.

"That is not a real word…" she muttered.

"Really?" Robin asked in shock. "I mean, 'whelmed' 'aster', those were real words. That one isn't?"

"Nope," Sakura muttered, staring out the front window.

"Huh…well that's a first," Robin muttered.

"I think we're all just trying to get a grip on your powers, Zatanna. Could you teleport us to Tornado? Or put Ivo in a cell? What about making the Reds surrender?" Artemis asked.

"Or ending wars for all time and bringing on world peace?" Zatanna smirked. "Sorry, I'm not that powerful. Heck, my dad couldn't even do all that, what makes you think I could? I need to know a spell perfectly, or have time to prepare it. All magic requires energy, which usually comes from within. I can't make the impossible a reality anytime I want."

"What about your soldier pills?" Wally asked, looking at Sakura.

"What?" Zatanna asked, looking at the pinkette.

"Soldier pills are meant to replenish a dying chakra and give strength back to weakened shinobi," Sakura said while crossing her arms. "They don't work on regular people."

"What's our ETA for Yellowstone?" Superboy growled. "I can't wait any longer to turn him into scrap metal!"

"Are you so sure that he betrayed us?" Kaldur asked.

"And you're not?" Conner shouted, turning back to face him.

"No, I am not convinced," Kaldur confessed. "And if he did not betray us that just makes him the victim of the programming his creator gave him. Certainly, he deserves a chance to prove that he is not the weapon someone created him to be." Superboy faced forward, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Then let's just get there and find out the truth," Sakura declared.

"I am so with you on that one," Wally smiled.

\-----------------------------------------------

Yellowstone National Park

The cloaked bioship landed inside the park and everyone got up.

"Stealth mode, now," Kaldur ordered, pressing his belt buckle. Wally and Artemis pressed the symbol on their chest and their suits turned black. M'gann clothes shifted to form her stealth uniform. Sakura looked down at her clothes and blinked.

"I never noticed but my regular uniform could be considered stealthy," she pointed out, showing off her all black outfit.

"Yeah, I mean the only color is coming from that flower on your pocket, your choker and your utility belt," Artemis agreed.

"Does the ribbon count as color?" M'gann asked, looking at the red ribbon. "I mean, it's not black, but it's also in your hair, away from the uniform. Oh! I think it has enough organic compounds for me to change the color!"

"Enough fashion talk," Robin smiled. "Let's go!"

"I recommend you stay behind," Kaldur told Zatanna.

"Is that an order?" the ebony haired girl smirked.

"No, please, do as you see fit," Kaldur smiled.

"Well in that case, tup em ni ym naicigam kool!" Zatanna threw her hands up and a cloud of smoke surrounded her before disappearing to show her magician outfit.

"Told ya, changing clothes," Sakura smirked at Artemis. The blond archer snickered and pushed her forward, following the others. They ran for a few moments before stopping behind a rock. Robin pulled up his computer and looked at the map.

"Looks like Ivo was right. Something's definitely down there," Robin announced. The team began running once more, getting closer to the hideout. Before they got too close, a giant force of wind slammed into them, knocking them off their feet. Red Tornado flew in front of them, looking down at them. Tornados that were red in color surrounded them, blocking them in.

"Why Tornado? Why are you doing this to us?" M'gann shouted. More colored funnels appeared, making the winds blow faster. "Message received?" Sakura looked at Robin who nodded back at her.

"Who cares about why, let's just get him!" Conner shouted, running towards him.

"Superboy, maneuver seven!" Aqualad shouted, taking off. Superboy turned around and laced his fingers together. Aqualad stepped on the interlocked and Superboy pushed him up, sending him flying for the android. Red Tornado punched him in the face, and sent him flying into Superboy. Artemis and Robin stepped forward, taking out their explosive weapons, and sending them at Red Tornado. A gust of wind pushed the arrows and disks back.

"Look out!" Robin shouted, pushing Artemis to the ground, just as they exploded at their feet.

"Kid!" Sakura shouted, holding out her hand. Kid Flash zoomed over to her, taking her hand. Her began to spin and let her go, sending the pinkette towards Red Tornado. Sakura flipped through the air and her heels started spinning slowly. Red Tornado grabbed her ankles and spun her around. Sakura slammed into M'gann, who was trying to sneak up on the android. Red Tornado released Sakura and sent the two back at Wally. They slammed onto the red head and they all tumbled onto the ground, their eyes snapping shut instantly.

Zatanna ran forward, holding out her hands. "Etaerc uh…um…dleihs dnuora ym-!" The witch was cut off as Tornado's hand wrapped around her neck. The young girl choked and her eyes fluttered close in defeat. Tornado pushed her back, and Zatanna slid across the dirt, her eyes closing as well. The group was completely still, as the wind continued to die.

"That was quite a show, brother," a new voice announced. "But that's all it was, a show. I have all of your memories, as well as a next gen processor, remember? I know your next move before you do!" the android growled. The team groaned and sat up and saw a new red with glowing decorations. A rock lifted behind him with 'PLAY DEAD' written in the stone. "Carving a message into the dirt? Pathetic." The boulder crumbled into smaller sized slabs of rock, flying towards them. Kaldur and Superboy jumped up, punching some of them out of the way. M'gann joined in, using her powers to move them away. Robin and Zatanna jumped out of the way as a boulder moved between them. Sakura narrowed her eyes and punched the rock before it could crush into her.

"Zatanna," Robin called.

"I'm fine! But Red Tornado's getting away!" Zatanna shouted, looking at the retreating android.

"Is he abandoning us?" Artemis asked, running towards the new opponent.

"I don't believe that!" M'gann responded.

"Tornado would never do that to us!" Sakura shouted.

"You humans don't stand a chance against me," the android deadpanned, punching Wally away.

"We're not humans!" M'gann and Superboy shouted, flying towards him.

"I'm sorry, I guess the correct term would 'meatbags'," the android growled. As two rock hands shot out of the ground, slamming into Conner and M'gann. He waved his arm and the ground opened up under Artemis and Kaldur, who swung out before they were crushed. Robin and Sakura ran up a rock slab, throwing a batarang and kunai respectively. They both exploded but the android didn't even flinch.

"Red Tornado's memories and my processing speed allows me to anticipate your every move," the android taunted. The two ninjas landed beside Zatanna, who lifted her hand, her blue eyes narrowing.

"Emoksemoceb a dlofdnilb!" Zatanna shouted. Smoke surrounded the androids eyes and tightened, becoming a blindfold. "Red Tornado never knew my moves," she smirked.

"And I bet you've got some good ones," Robin smirked. "Wait, sorry, that might have come out sounding a bit too Kid Flash."

"You've become a perv!" Sakura gasped. "Oh! I have rubbed off on you! Wait is that good or bad?"

"To be honest, I don't mind," Zatanna laughed.

"I do! I'm the one that gets to corrupt his innocent mind!" Sakura shouted. Her face became red and she looked up, glaring at the sky. "Shut up!"

"Are you okay?" Zatanna asked.

"Don't worry, she's fine, she does that all the time," Robin smirked.

"Focus you three!" Artemis screeched across the battlefield. Just as she said that red beams shot out of the android's eye and the volcano behind him erupted violently. The atmosphere around them became hotter and rocks dipped in lava were thrown at him.

"He's activating a stage 2 eruption!" Wally announced.

"We can't let him get to stage three!" Sakura shouted.

"Why not?" M'gann asked.

"You can say goodbye to the hemisphere," Wally and Sakura answered.

"Hit him from all sides!" Kaldur ordered.

"Zatanna I need you to protect me!" Sakura shouted at the magician as Robin leapt into action.

"Why?" the girl asked.

"Just do it," the pinkette growled, sitting down and taking a meditative stance.

"So, what are you doing?" Kid Flash asked, running up to them.

"Channeling my sister," Sakura answered. "She's getting a free pass in my body, so it's time for her to return the favor."

"Alright," Kid Flash nodded. "Zatanna, got any spells that would be good for distractions?"

"In fact I have the perfect one," Zatanna smiled, placing a hand on his back. "Ekoms dna srorrim... Etaerc Dik Hsalf snoisulli!" Several pillars of smoke turned into replicas of Kid Flash. The speedsters all ran off towards the Red, who was holding M'gann by the cloak. "I-I use a scaled down version when I wanna sneak out of the house!" She said happily. She looked back at Sakura and saw the pinkette stand up, her hair darker and her body more mature.

"Nice abuse of magic kid," Cherī smirked, walking beside her.

"What happened to you?" Zatanna asked in shock.

"Oh, everything will be explained later," Cher smirked. Wally grabbed M'gann out of the android's hold and Cherī shot forward, her hands raised. She dodged each boulder that was sent her way and quickly jumped up, slamming her heels into his chest. The drills turned on and she back flipped, leaving two small and sparking holes in his chest. A jet of water rushed past her, knocking the android off his feet and into the lava.

"Nice hit!" Robin cheered.

"I did not do that," Aqualad informed them. "He did!" He pointed at the water Red, who was control the column of water.

"Oh come on! I was just about to do some serious metal ass kicking!" Cherī shouted in anger, glaring at the robots. Torpedo rose into the air, sending more water Volcano's way, and pushing him back into the lava. A column of earth rose, and Tornado slammed into it, breaking it up and sending Volcano back into the lava once more. Inferno flew across the sky, raining fireballs on her younger brother. The two elements collided inside the lava pit.

"Sister! Brothers! Why are you doing this?" Volcano shouted as he was pushed under the molten rock. Tornado flew doing, using his feet to keep him under there, while his siblings held him back. Superboy jumped forward, grabbing the robot before he completely melted, but his legs were already gone. The volcano in front of them continued to erupt, sending magma into the air. The ground began to shake violently beneath their feet, almost unbalancing the young heroes.

"Tornado listen! That thing is about to turn into a stage 3 super-volcano eruption!" Wally shouted.

"Once it's reached that stage, theirs is absolutely no going back," Cherī agreed, looking at the android. "We need to vent the pressure now. Meaning you have to divert it or the resulting ash cloud will bring on a nuclear winter worldwide!" Tornado looked at them and nodded.

"Triangulate a realm of pressure focus," Wally ordered.

"Right, there, there and…there!" Robin shouted, showing the map of the volcano, with three red dots. Artemis raised her bow and arrows, ready to shoot.

"Wait!" Cherī stopped, taking out three paper bombs. "These will give your arrows an extra kick. I trust you, but we need all the power we can get," the dark pinkette explained, wrapping them around each bow.

"Got it," Artemis nodded, releasing them. Once they hit the rocky surface there were three loud and huge explosions. Tornado pushed himself up and shot into the air, a funnel of wind following him. The ash cloud was sucked into a large funnel, which directed the ash out into space.

"Yes!" Wally cheered.

"Nice plan!" Cherī smiled, giving him a high five. Red Tornado slowly fell to the earth, landing on his hands and knees. The team looked at each other before running over to him.

\------------------------------------------------

"And…there, that should do it," Robin smiled, stepping away from the android. The teens were gathered inside Morrow's base, looking around and helping Tornado.

"Yes, I can speak again," Tornado confirmed.

"You nearly sacrificed yourself to save the planet," Aqualad commented.

"The planet would have survived. Humanity is what was saved," Tornado corrected. "But I did not do it. My elder sister and brother, they were the ones that saved humanity."

"My point is, you were never the mole, you never betrayed us," Aqualad smiled, placing a webbed hand on the metal shoulder.

"No, I left to protect you, as well as find my creator," Red Tornado told them.

"Cool, souvenir," Wally smiled, holding up a red metal hand. Robin smiled and took out a leg.

"We can rebuild you, make you good as new!" Robin smiled.

"Or better, if you'd like," Cherī smiled, holding up an arm.

"I do not believe that I should be repaired," Tornado said solemnly.

"Why'd you agree to be our den mother anyway?" Conner asked, jumping into the conversation.

"I was the logical choice. I do not require food or sleep, nor do I have a secret identity outside of the Justice League," Tornado told them.

"But what you do have is an advanced and adaptive AI that allows you to evolve," Wally smirked, uncurling the fingers on the hand he found.

"Hello Megan!" M'gann smiled, hitting her forehead. "You were with us because you wanted to be more human!"

"No way you could have done that with the League, they're as up tight as it gets," Artemis smirked.

"No way you'd be able to learn about emotions from Batman, trust me," Robin cackled.

"Not true even Batman has his moments," Cherī smiled affectionately. "I mean, he saw that you were upset one time and you two played basketball one-on-one. He just has a difficult time showing emotion, they all do."

"Got me there," Robin said softly, a smile on his lips.

"The cave was not a training ground for us, but you also," Aqualad smiled.

"Perhaps," Tornado answered. "I do not know if these accusations are correct, but they may be true. And if I understand the term correctly, I have come to…care about all of you."

"Aw, we care about you too," Cherī smirked.

"Practically a 'meatbag' already," Conner muttered.

"That reminds me…" Red Tornado trailed off. "I must go after you have finished repairs."

"Why?" M'gann asked. Cherī shook her head, cutting off the Martian.

"It is none of our business," the old girl assured her. "As soon as we are done, you are free to go."

"Well then, let's get started!" Robin smiled.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

"So, was that a good kidnapping or what?" Robin smiled, leaning forward. Zatanna looked back at him and smiled.

"It was fun," Zatanna confirmed.

"Hope we get to do it more often," Robin smiled.

"So do I, if my dad doesn't ground me for life," Zatanna sighed.

"Don't worry, we'll be there to bust you out," Cherī smiled at her.

"Hey, why haven't you changed back yet?" Artemis asked, looking over at the older girl.

"Oh, because Sakura will kill me if she finds out I was released for nothing," Cherī groaned, hanging her head back. "She was so determined to help that she actually managed to set me free without her life being in danger. I don't want that to be for nothing."

"Are you kidding?" Robin gasped. "You transformed without Blossom getting hurt first! That is not all for nothing."

"Yeah, I guess you're right, but still, she's going to be disappointed," Cherī sighed.

"Why's that?" Wally asked, just as Sakura turned back to normal. The pinkette slumped back in her chair, sleeping peacefully.

"Sak looks adorable when she sleeps," Artemis smiled, poking the pinkette's cheek.

"Don't be fooled by the cute and innocent looks," Robin smirked "her guard isn't down; it's still up, 100%." Artemis jerked her finger back, looking at her nervously. "Adorable but deadly."

"How is she when she comes to waking up anyway?" Wally asked.

"Yes, she seemed to be a bit of a late riser, which is strange," M'gann nodded.

"Eh, sometimes she is, sometimes she's not, really depends on a lot of things," Robin shrugged.

"You seem to know a lot about her for being just friends," Artemis smirked. "Oh! Did you do some confessions when Batman locked you two in that room together after he couldn't take your arguing?"

"Yeah, and are there any pictures left? Wally said you two were cuddling the next morning!" M'gann giggled.

"WALLY!" the blushing Robin shouted in horror. The red head simply laughed, not even feeling guilty.


	26. Chapter 26

Mount Justice

October 16

The young teens watched as their mentors were destroyed one by one by the incoming alien fleet. Another screen came up with an 'incoming message' sign.

"Tornado, did you see?" Zatara asked.

"Yes, we saw," the android nodded. "The celestial defenses have failed. Initiate all terrestrial defenses and measures."

"Affirmative," Zatara nodded before signing out.

"We will protect the planet at all costs," Tornado assured the teens. "But if we fail, you will have that responsibility."

"We're ready," Aqualad assured him.

\----------------------------------------------------

"This is Iris West-Allen, reporting to you live from Central City. The aliens have brought their relentless global attack to this very city and they show no signs of letting up," the reporter announced. Behind her a crowd of people were quickly annihilated. As the attackers set their sights on her, she was grabbed by Flash, and the cameraman was quickly teleported to Zatara, on top of a building.

"You should both be safe up here," Zatara assured them. "For now."

"Thanks, Flash…and Zatara," Iris nodded. Flash smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder before running off. Zatara chanted a spell and flew after him. "Denny, you okay?" A hand came into shot, giving her a thumb up. "Well, as you can see the Justice League is doing all that they can to protect the people and the world…no!" Iris gasped in shock, seeing a building, a building which the Flash had just run onto, blow up in smoke.

"Iris! Get out of there!" The main anchoress shouted in horror as they switched to the main station. The screen became filled with static and Cat Grant gulped before turning back to the camera. "It appears we are having trouble getting in touch with our crew in Central City. We take you now to a devastated Taipei, where another string of Leaguers are doing all they can to help, and they are having a bit more luck." The shot switched to a view of Taipei where the Hawks were quickly destroyed. The camera shot switched to a close up of Green Arrow and Black Canary as they tried to hold off the attackers. They were both shot, disappearing like the others. The screen switched back to Cat, who took a deep breath, gripping the papers in front of her. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have just lost Black Canary, Green Arrow, and the Hawks. Other heroes reported dead or missing include: Batman, Icon, Atom, and Aquaman."

\--------------------------------------------------------

"Red Tornado to Cave, I fear that I am all the remains of the Justice League." Red Tornado's voice echoed against the cave walls as the teens looked up at the screen. "Good luck."

"RT!" Robin called out as the feed was cut. "He's gone."

"We are what remain, we are Earth's heroes now," Aqualad announced.

"What are we waiting for a theme song?" Superboy asked.

"A strategy," Kaldur answered. "Earth's weapons are ineffective, and it has been made clear, tragically so, that a direct attack will not succeed."

"Gathering satellite images now," Robin announced. The holomap appeared with several areas stained red. "The red is where we've already been attacked."

"What about this one up here? Did it get lost?" Superboy asked, pointing to a lone red dot in the upper northern hemisphere.

"No…that's Superman's Fortress of Solitude," Robin answered.

"Superman has a Fortress of Solitude?" Superboy asked in shock.

"Yeah, guess it's yours now," Sakura nodded.

"The power source must have caught the aliens' attention, enough to send in a scouter ship at least," Robin told them.

"Must be some power source," the clone grumbled.

"Conner," M'gann whispered, placing a hand on his arm.

"Its fine," Conner sighed. "Guess there's a lot of things about Superman that I'll never know…ya know…now."

"We shall target this lone ship," Aqualad announced.

"Yeah, break it done, create more," Wally agreed, getting riled up. "And give those ugly aliens a taste of their own medicine!" He hissed as Artemis elbowed him in the ribs.

"Martian and Kryptonian, you know, right in front of you," she reminded him lowly. Wally blinked and looked at them before clearing his throat.

"You know, not that all aliens are automatically ugly," he said pathetically.

"Nice save," Sakura muttered.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura adjusted the white cloak on her shoulders, before moving her arms and looking at her uniform. She wore a white version of her stealth uniform, but her skin was covered with bandages, and she had grey arm and leg warmers to accompany it. On the shoulder of the cloak was a grey symbol of a swirly leaf.

"You ready?" Robin asked, entering the room, dressed in his snow gear as well.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

"Yeah, let's go," Sakura nodded, following him out of the room.

"Communications have been disabled," M'gann announced. "And so has the propulsion."

Sakura peaked out from snowy blockade she, Superboy, and Wolf were hiding behind. An arrow shot out and hit the ship, covering the front in foam. The ship's laser swerved and shot in Artemis's general direction a few times.

"And the aliens are stuck inside!" Artemis shouted. The ice beneath the ship cracked and it fell into the water. Aqualad flipped out of the icy liquid and landed on the ship. The laser turned to face him but Wolf jumped out of their hiding spot, grabbing onto the cannon with his jaw and swinging it away. Sakura and Superboy jumped onto the ship, pushing it into place. Robin and Kid Flash appeared beside them, as the Boy Wonder held up his glove, examining the turret.

"Identifying the weapon's structural weak points and link to the ship," Robin announced. "Here, here and here." He pointed at three spots and M'gann nodded, hitting them with psychic blasts. Superboy and Sakura pulled on the cannon, pulling it off. Wolf pushed them both off the ship just as two loose points let off a blast, engulfing Wolf instead of them. When the blast disappeared, Wolf was gone.

"Wolf…" M'gann whispered in shock.

"I'm sorry, it was giving off feedback," Robin apologized.

"We can't do anything about it now," Superboy muttered. "Let's go." He jumped back onto the ship, pulling at the cannon. Sakura grabbed the column that held it up and pulled, yanking it off with Superboy. Conner and M'gann flew over to the bioship, placing the weapon against it. The bioship molded, grabbing onto the cannon.

"Rerouting systems to integrate the weapon into the ship's bio-matrix," M'gann announced. "I have to let go if the camouflage for a few minutes."

"We may not have a few minutes!" Robin shouted as two alien ships flew towards them.

"Miss Martian open fire!" Aqualad ordered.

"I can't! The weapons systems are offline to incorporate the new cannon! And that isn't online yet either!" M'gann said quickly.

"I gotcha covered!" Artemis shouted, releasing an arrow. "Get inside, I'm almost there!" The team turned towards the bioship as the ships crashed onto the snow covered ground behind them. A cannon turned towards Artemis, who began running again.

"Artemis! Look out!" Sakura shouted, noticing the laser charging. Artemis turned around and prepared an arrow. The team turned around quickly, watching as the cannon blasted, hitting Artemis.

"ARTEMIS!" M'gann and Wally screamed in horror.

"Get inside, all of you!" Aqualad shouted, taking out his water bearers to form whips. He swung them and broke the ice around the alien ship. The sharp icicles pierced the ship, causing it to blow up.

"They're dead! All those damn aliens are dead if it's the last thing I do!" Wally growled lowly.

\-----------------------------------------------------------

The ride on the bioship was quiet with the occasional sniffle and sob from M'gann. Wally growled and pounded his fists on the table in front of him, venting his frustrations over Artemis. Sakura closed her eyes and her fists tightened. She abruptly stood up, catching the attention of everyone but Wally. The pinkette turned around and stormed over to the red head, quickly slapping him. M'gann gasped at the action and the group looked at Sakura in shock.

"What the hell was that for?" Wally growled, standing up to glare at her.

"I was tired of your temper tantrum," Sakura answered harshly. The speedster flinched back, seeing the cold look in her green eyes. "Artemis is dead and there's not a damn thing any of us can do about it. Get over it!"

"How can you say that?" Wally asked, with venom lacing his voice. "Artemis was your friend! You looked up to her and she treated you like you were her sister! How can you be so cold and uncaring about this?"

"Because we have a war to win, simple as that," Sakura answered. She turned away from him and walked back to her seat, sitting down.

"Harsh…" Robin whispered beside her.

"I only spoke the truth," Sakura said quietly.

"While I would not put it like that, I will tell you that there will be time to mourn later," Aqualad announced. "Right now, we have a job to complete. Defend the Earth and make sure Artemis's sacrifice was not in vain."

"So, should we go back to the cave?" M'gann sniffed, a tear falling out of her eye.

"No. We must go to the Hall of Justice," Aqualad told them. "The human race must know that there are still people defending them. They must know that there is still hope."

\------------------------------------------------

White House

"The aliens are attacking a group of soldiers," Robin announced.

"Superboy, get down there," Aqualad ordered. A hole in the bioship opened up and Superboy jumped through it, landing on one of the alien ships. M'gann blasted the other two with the cannon and landed in front of the Hall. The hatch opened and they were met with cheers from the soldiers.

"See, I told you Superman wouldn't leave us like that," A soldier smiled.

"I don't know, something's off. Where's the cape?" Another soldier commented.

"I'm not Superman," Superboy told them.

"You know, I don't really care who you are," the general informed him, stepping forward. "You wear the S, and you got the job done. That's all I need to know."

"I'm not Superman…" Conner muttered, looking at the ground.

"Tell that to the enemy," he smirked. He saluted Aqualad as the Atlantean approached. "General Wade Eiung, US Air Force."

"Aqualad, Justice League," the Atlantean nodded. "We'll help you salvage as many of the alien's cannons as possible. Then we shall take back what is ours."

\--------------------------------------------------

Hall of Justice

The team entered the hall, and saw that it was in ruins. The outside of the building still held up, but it was destroyed. The statues of the heroes were destroyed and stone heads were lying on the ground around them.

"They're really gone…" Robin whispered, looking at the Batman head. M'gann floated forward, placing a hand on the statue of her uncle. She fell to her knees, crying. She suddenly jumped into the air, and lifted the statue of Martian Manhunter. Beneath said statue was the alien himself, rubbing his head.

"Uncle J'onn!" M'gann gasped, flying towards him. Aqualad held a hand out, stopping her.

"Check his mind! Make sure he really is who he appears to be," he ordered.

"It's him! He's real! And he's alive!" She flew over to her uncle, helping him up.

"That's impossible. We saw you get disintegrated. You, Superman…everyone!" Superboy protested.

"Yes, I remember, but I cannot remember how I survived," J'onn confessed. "Or how I arrived here."

"Maybe you were density shifting and the beam passed right through you!" M'gann suggested quickly.

"And it scrambled your brains," Robin added.

"My mind is clouded right now," J'onn agreed. "I feel certain I had something important to tell you."

"Hello Wally!"The speedster gasped, slapping his forehead. "I think I know! Come on!" He grabbed Robin and raced out of the building. There was silence for a few moments before Wally's voice entered their mind again. "I knew it! This thing is giving off zeta beams! And zeta beams is what powers our zeta tubes! This thing doesn't disintegrate, it teleports! Artemis is alive!"

"Maybe but…"

"No! No 'maybe'! They're all alive!" Wally cut off Robin.

"That must be what you wanted to tell us!" M'gann said, smiling up at her uncle. J'onn gripped his head, struggling to remember. They didn't have time to dwell on it as alien ships began descending, shooting at them.

"We're on our way!" Aqualad told them.

"Negative! We can't win this! Miss Martian put the bioship in camouflage mode!" Not a second after Robin said that, the bioship was hit, disintegrating. M'gann and J'onn flew back in pain, gripping their heads.

"M'gann!" Conner shouted, running over to his girlfriend. Kaldur and Sakura assisted J'onn, helping the Martian man up.

"We're falling back!" Robin shouted as the troops entered the building.

"We're trapped," Wade muttered, looking at the closed door. The doors slid open and the crowd looked in confusion.

"Maybe not," Aqualad muttered. "Kunoichi, lead the troops to the library."

"On it," the pinkette nodded, running through the doors. The soldiers followed behind her dutifully. They entered the library room and the troops turned around, pointing their guns at the door.

"We can use the zeta tubes to gain access to the Cave, but only if you grant us clearance," Aqualad explained to J'onn.

"I can only authorize one at a time," J'onn nodded.

"Send the soldiers first," Kaldur ordered.

"No way!" Wade shouted. "You seven are assets that we cannot afford to lose!" J'onn stood in

front of the tube and was scanned.

"Override Martian Manhunter 07," The Leaguer ordered.

Access granted

Miss Martian

M'gann quickly flew through the teleporter, not wasting any time.

Robin

Kunoichi

The pinkette rushed through after Robin, hearing Kid Flash behind her. She entered the cave and looked around. Kid Flash ran through the zeta tube.

"They're being attacked!" he announced. "Aqualad pushed me through, but I don't know what's going on back there."

Private Jason Barnes US MC

A soldier staggered out of the tube before collapsing. Sakura rushed over to him and dragged him to the wall, propping him up.

Superboy

"What happened?" the pinkette asked.

"A rock fell on him," Superboy answered. Sakura nodded and held out her hands, pressing them against the Private's legs.

"Where does it hurt the most?" She asked.

"My left leg…the calf…" he hissed. Sakura nodded and moved her hands to his left calf, her hands beginning to glow.

"What happened?" Robin asked.

Martian Manhunter

The Martian flew into the room, landing on the ground harshly.

"What happened?" The boy repeated

"Aqualad pushed me through," J'onn informed them. "He was hit, as were the rest of the soldiers."

"Guess that leaves us," Robin sighed, looking around. "We need to come up with a plan."


	27. Chapter 27

"Our next mission is pretty clear," Robin announced. "If we really do believe that the aliens are teleporting their victims-"

"Which, they are!" Wally interjected.

"Then, there is only one reasonable detention facility." Robin typed a few commands onto his computer and brought up an image of a black ship with red windows. "The mother ship, it's currently located on top of what used to be Smallville. Does that ring any bells?" The group turned to J'onn, who stood up.

"No, I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Superboy, you'll create a distraction-"

"No!" M'gann protested, interrupting the bird. "He's offering you as a sacrifice! Aqualad would never do something like that!"

"You're right, he wouldn't," Robin nodded. "Aqualad would sacrifice himself, and he did. That mistake has left us without a leader."

"Besides, Superboy would be perceived as a threat, giving the aliens motive to go after him," Sakura added.

"Worst case scenario is he's teleported inside," Wally told her. "Then we'll set him free along with Artemis…and Aqualad…and everyone else!" Superboy and Miss Martian turned towards each other, having a silent conversation.

"Alright," M'gann sighed. "What do we do now?"

"We prepare," Sakura answered. "We gather every hero that's still left, and bring them here. We also have to reassure the remaining civilians that everything will be okay."

"How do we do that?" Conner asked.

"Got it!" Wally smiled, rushing out of the room; he came back with a video camera. "We hook this baby up to the supercomputer, and broadcast a signal that every media device with a screen, like TVs, cell phones, and laptops, will get the message. So, who wants to go first?"

\-------------------------------------------------------------

"And we know that all seems lost, but the one things the aliens cannot destroy, is our hope," M'gann said into the camera.

"Hope exists because the battle is not over yet. Not so long as even one of us is willing to fight," Superboy told them.

"It doesn't matter how many of us fall! New heroes will take their place. They will bring all their resources, talents, and abilities into the fight and defeat the enemy," Kid Flash said seriously.

"For now, you should do all you can to protect yourselves. Stay underground, keep out of sight. Take care of your families, and make sure their health is fine. Do what you can to keep safe," Sakura ordered into the camera.

"The people of Earth will survive this! We will rebuild and we will thrive! Never doubt and never forget. The Earth will never surrender!" Robin finished. M'gann turned the camera off and nodded to herself.

"It's off," she announced.

"Good, now start calling everyone you know," Robin told her.

"I've already called the hidden villages, they can't spare anyone," Sakura announced.

"Aqualad mentioned some friends in Atlantis, I'll go call them," M'gann suggested.

"I've got Red Arrow and Zatanna, I also heard about this Rocket girl that could be of help in fighting," Wally told them.

"Good," Robin nodded as the two walked off. Superboy went off with M'gann to hate her.

"I'm going to go prepare my weapons," Sakura told Robin, heading for the entrance. The boy wonder stared at her retreating figure for a moment before sighing.

\-----------------------------------------------------

Smallville

Sakura and M'gann approached Robin, who was looking at the mother ship through his binoculars.

"Stay close to J'onn," Robin ordered M'gann quietly. "He's still a little clouded." M'gann nodded in agreement. "Alright, first team, deploy!" M'gann and J'onn flew into the air, becoming invisible.

"Ready and in position," M'gann announced. Superboy turned to Robin, who nodded. The clone jumped into the air, soaring onto the mother ship.

"Careful! Don't disconnect the power source," Robin warned him. Soon shots were going off, hitting the large fortress.

"Now or never!" Superboy told them. The three remaining teams nodded and Robin jumped on Kid Flash's back, wrapping his arms around his neck, while Wally scooped up the pinkette and began running. He picked up speed as he neared the edge of the cliff. He jumped forward, free falling towards the open hatch. As the steel floor approached, Sakura jumped out of his arms and Robin flipped off of him and the tumbled onto the opening. Wasting no time the three scrambled up and ran down a hallway, barely avoiding being seen by a few spacecrafts.

"Way's clear," Robin announced, peaking out of their hallway. The three ran forward and hid behind a pillar just as a robot flew past them. Sakura gasped quietly and took out a kunai, aiming it at the robot behind them. A crate crashed into the robot, effectively killing it.

"Thanks Miss Martian," Sakura nodded as they began running again.

"No!" M'gann gasped after a few minutes. They turned back to see her leaning against her uncle, both of them visible. "He's gone!" she fell to her knees, crying softly.

"It's alright," Wally assured her, kneeling next to her. "We'll find him with Artemis. I know we will."

"No," J'onn told them. "My mind is clearer now. The disintegration ray is exactly that. There is no detention facility, no prisoners to rescue. Our mission holds no purpose."

"No! You're lying!" Wally shouted, gripping his cloak. "She's alive! The zeta radiation proves it!"

"Stop it KF!" Robin shouted, grabbing his friend. "I have been scanning for league and team signals since we got inside, they're not here."

"Artemis is gone, Kaldur is gone, Conner is gone, they're all dead," Sakura told him harshly. "They knew that there were risks going into this business, and going into this war. They died protecting the planet. They're dead, we're alive. We need to get over it and get on with this war."

"Or are you in so much denial that you're going to throw another temper tantrum?" Cherī asked, speaking up for the first time since the aliens' attack.

"Our mission still holds a purpose. To destroy this mother ship," Robin told them.

"We have to get this done, there isn't much of a choice," Cherī told them. Sakura and Robin ran down the hallway, with J'onn and M'gann following after. Wally let out a growl and followed them.

\----------------------------------------------

The team came to a stop when they were shot at from behind. They turned around and saw robot aliens flying after them, shooting at them.

"You guys go! I'll hold them off!" Sakura ordered, bringing it at a kunai. She flung it at one of the aliens and it blew up.

"Blossom no!" Robin shouted through the link. "We can get rid of-"

"Robin, thank you for being concerned with her, but it is not needed!" Cherī shouted as Sakura took out a few shuriken and threw them. "You need to continue the mission and destroy this place! Just tell us when we need to leave!" The pinkette ran forward, taking out a short knife.

"Blossom!"

"Just go!" Sakura shouted at them. "I'll be fine!"

"We have to go if you want to destroy the mother ship," J'onn told them, pushing them forward. Sakura glanced back before turning to the robots, who were charging their lasers.

"I'm sorry Birdie…" she whispered, before flipping into the air, and slicing at them, fighting back. "Yes! I know this!" Sakura shouted, as she kicked one away. "I know what's going to happen, and I don't care!" One of them lashed out at her, grabbing her arm. She twisted her wrist and grabbed the medal appendage; she swung him into to other robots. "What did you just say…?" she trailed off in shock. The pinkette gasped and her eyes widened as she felt her body burn.

\--------------------------------------------

"Gah!" M'gann gasped, gripping her head once more. "Robin…"

"No…" the ebony haired boy said softly.

"I'm sorry…she's gone…" M'gann whispered. Robin ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath before steeling his gaze from under his mask.

"Let's go!" he ordered, running into a room. He pulled up his computer, checking out the large glowing sphere in the center of the room. "That's the power core! Take it down, and the whole place goes with it!"

\--------------------------------------------

Mount Justice

October 16

Sakura's eyes snapped open and she took a deep breath, feeling her lungs take in the oxygen greedily. She looked around herself and saw that she was inside Mount Justice, in the mission room. The pinkette sat up slowly, gripping her waist in pain. She removed her pain and her eyes widened when she saw no blood. Sakura looked up and saw the others were around her as well, all of them coming to.

"You're all alive!" M'gann gasped as she sat up and saw them.

"Barely…" Sakura groaned, gripping her head.

"What happened in there?" Batman asked J'onn, who was gripping his head, just like the teens.

"The exercise went wrong," J'onn grunted.

"Exercise? What are you talking about?" Robin asked in confusion. The boy wonder wiped the sweat off his forehead before looking at his mentor for an explanation.

"Try to remember," Batman ordered. The group slowly and hesitantly closed their eyes, summoning their memories. "What you just experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter linked the seven of you up psychically and placed you in an artificial reality. You all knew that going in. What you didn't know was that it was impossible to win. No matter what the team did, no matter what you accomplished it would only get worse, that's what the scenario was designed for. But even so, you were completely aware that nothing was real."

"That was why you barely grieved when the Justice league, and even when Wolf was disintegrated before your very eyes," J'onn explained. "However, everything changed, when Artemis died." The team looked at the blonde archer, who stared at the ground fiercely. "Consciously, M'gann was aware that none of it was real, and that Artemis was fine. But her subconscious could not make that distinction. Her subconscious mind took control and made all of you forget as well." The group looked at M'gann, who stared at her uncle in horror.

"But…she didn't…" Sakura protested. "Right before…right before I died…Cherī told me that it was all fake. In fact, before Artemis died, Cherī was quiet; I didn't hear her at all. We only heard her after…after Superboy died."

"That is because J'onn did not know about Cherī, M'gann did," Batman explained. "She went into your mind and linked Cherī up to the simulation. Because she did not link Cherī up at the same time, Cherī must not have forgotten."

"I-I'm sorry…" M'gann told them desperately.

"This isn't her fault!" Superboy shouted. "Why didn't you stop it?"

"We tried, but M'gann had a death grip on the scenario," J'onn informed them. "Even Artemis, who, upon her death should have awoken, was so convinced that she had passed away. It caused her to slip into a coma. I realized I would have to take control of Miss Martian's subconscious from within. But when I got there, your collective emotions were too much and I was unable to think clearly and remember the reason as to why I was there.

"The deaths of Aqualad, Superboy, and Kunoichi did help, but once Kid Flash and Robin were silenced when the mother ship exploded, was I able to remember everything clearly. I remembered my true purpose, to shock M'gann out of the exercise before your comas became permanent.

"I apologize. I did not know that a training exercise could be so…dangerous," J'onn said gravely. Sakura looked over at M'gann, who was crying in the arms of Captain Marvel. Sakura looked forward and massaged her temple, her gaze never leaving the sight of her boots.


	28. Chapter 28

Mount Justice

October 23

The team sat around the living room quietly, like they had done for the past week. M'gann was in the kitchen, slowly stirring something in a bowl, not even paying attention to what she was doing. Kaldur leaned against counter with his arms crossed, just staring at the ground intently. Robin and Sakura were curled up on opposite ends of the coach. The ebony haired boy was staring into space while Sakura was quietly opening and closing a fan that she had. She was staring intently at the drawings on the cloth, watching them disappear into the folds of the wood and then reappear a moment later. Wally was sitting at the counter, his head resting on his arms. One of them was broken and he still refused to let Sakura heal it, saying that he wanted it that way. Artemis leaned against the back of the couch, staring at the ground with a far off look in her eyes.

The TV was on, the hum of static filling their ears along with the soft flap of Sakura's fan. Superboy, who normally would be watching the TV, even in this state, was gone. He was with Black Canary, having a therapy session, something which Batman was making all of them do.

"Superboy has taken a drive," Batman announced, entering the room. The only recognition he got was Sakura's fan snapping shut loudly before she opened it and repeated the process, but quieter. "Artemis, Black Canary wants to see you next." The blonde didn't even look at him as she pushed herself off of the back of the couch and walked past him. The caped crusader looked at the teens for a moment before taking his leave as well, leaving them in silence once more.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

"Sak…you're next," Artemis sighed, laying down on the couch and staring up at the ceiling. The pinkette stood up and closed her fan, gripping it in her hand as she exited the room, not giving anyone a glance. She quietly walked through the base, and made her to the therapy room. She opened the glass door and closed the door behind her.

"Welcome Sakura, please sit down," Canary smiled, gesturing to the green arm chair across from her. The pinkette sat down and looked at the blonde woman. "Well, how are you?" The pinkette took a moment to turn herself, sitting sideways and looking at the mini waterfall at the other end of the room.

"I'm fine," Sakura shrugged, taking her fan back out and staring at it. She began her process of opening and closing it, staring at the patterns.

"I don't believe that," Canary informed her. "Sakura, you died. You died with your last thought being that you didn't know whether or not to believe your sister when she said it was fake. You called your village and heard some random guy tell you that all of your friends were dead. How can you say that you're fine?"

"Because I am," Sakura answered gruffly. "I know you don't get it and you probably won't. But I was trained, since I was four years old. I was trained to be a killer, to do my village's bidding and do whatever the highest payer wanted me to do. In the event of a war, we were taught to show no emotions and continue on with the mission with our very last breath. I was simply doing what I was taught to do. I didn't cry, I slapped and yelled at Wally, and I showed no emotion. I have no trauma, because I did exactly what I was taught to do."

"Then what's with the fan?" Canary asked.

"It helps me think," Sakura answered.

"If you did everything you were taught to do, what do you need to think about?" Canary asked, crossing her legs and leaning against the arm of her chair. She watched Sakura pause for a second before resuming her process once more. "Or are you thinking about something that doesn't have to do with the simulation, but is on a more personal level?" Sakura gave Canary no answer and chose to concentrate on the fan even harder, getting lost in the motion. "Sakura, you can't avoid him forever."

"Who said I was?" Sakura asked quietly.

"You two haven't spoken to each other since the end of the simulation. I haven't even seen you two look at each other," Canary sighed, leaning forward to look at the young pinkette.

"Big deal…I'm giving him space," Sakura muttered darkly, opening and closing the fan faster.

"Sakura, you'll need to confront this sooner or later," Canary sighed. "And trust me when I say, sooner is probably better."

"Why should I?" Sakura said seriously.

"Because…this isn't just something you can leave alone," Canary informed her. "Your friend confessed to having feelings for you. He kissed you." With that, Sakura's fan snapped shut and the pinkette tossed it at Black Canary. The woman held out her hand, catching it before it hit her. She took a moment to open the fan, examining the design. The cloth itself was a light blue, drawing up an image of a cloudless sky. Small tree branches spread across the blue sky. The tree branches were decorated with beautiful and delicate pink flowers, Sakura's namesake flower. Resting on one of the branches was a small bird with brown feathers and a red breast. Canary recognized the bird to be a robin.

She looked back up at the pinkette to see her staring down at her hands. Sakura looked confused and lost without the fan. Canary walked over to Sakura and kneeled next to her chair, passing her the fan. Sakura took it gently and opened and closed it once more, repeating the process.

"This isn't going to help," Canary whispered. "You know it won't."

"I yelled at him…" Sakura said just as quietly. "I yelled at him for even thinking of showing emotions when we were in the middle of a war. I basically rejected him, yet my last thought was being sorry that it happened. How do I confront that?"

"Tell him," Canary answered.

"How can I?" Sakura said quietly, folding the fan back up. She curled into a tight ball and buried her head, refusing to look at the blonde. "I don't want to love someone."

"Why don't you?" Canary asked.

"Because…the last time…I told Sasuke how I felt, I did everything I could to try and get him to stay in the village," Sakura whispered. "I foolishly thought that if he knew my feelings were real and not some crush we would stay. He knocked me unconscious and left me on a bench in the middle of the night and left anyway. The last time I loved, I got my heart broken."

"Sweetie," Canary cooed, pulling her into a hug. Sakura threw her arms around her idol, and cried into her shoulder. "Everything will be alright. And I know you don't want to confront it, but it's probably for the best if you do. It hurts to have your heart broken by someone, especially your first love, but it will get better." Canary slowly stood up and sat on the chair, bringing her closer. "But let me tell you, when you've found the right person, you'll know and everything will be alright."

"I couldn't even look at him," Sakura cried. "I sacrificed myself because I didn't want to see him anymore!" Canary hushed the young girl and gently rocked her back and forth while stroking her hair. "You can't tell him, you can't tell anyone," Sakura whispered.

"Don't worry," Canary smiled, rubbing circles on her back. "Nothing leaves this room."


	29. Chapter 29

'Failsafe' Mount Justice

October 16

"I'm going to go prepare my weapons," Sakura told Robin, heading for the entrance. The boy wonder stared at her retreating figure for a moment before sighing. He raced after her and grabbed her arm.

"Wait, can I talk to you in private?" He requested. Sakura raised an eyebrow in confusion but nodded in agreement, allowing him to lead the way. Robin led them to an empty room and closed the door behind them.

"What is it that you needed?" Sakura asked. Robin stepped up to her nervously, and took a deep breath before sighing.

"I just need to say something to you before I regret it," Robin told her.

"Alright, go ahead," Sakura told him. Robin nodded and quickly grabbed her waist, pulling her close. He pressed his lips against the pinkette's, kissing her. Sakura's emerald green eyes widened in surprise, and she stood there in shock. Once the pinkette regained her sense she pushed him away. "Robin, no! I'm sorry but are you insane? We're in the middle of a war! This is not something we're going to survive!"

"Am I insane?" Robin asked in shock. "Sakura I just wanted to tell you how I felt before we died! How is that insane?"

"Emotions are useless in a war!" Sakura shouted. "They just get in the way and cloud your judgment!"

"So right now my judgment is clouded?" Robin asked in disbelief.

"I'm sorry Robin, but do you really think no is the right time to be confronting these types of feelings?" Sakura asked him seriously.

"Yes!" Robin shouted. "Yes, because I want you to know how I feel! We could die! And I don't want to die without telling you that I love you!" They both froze as his words sank in.

"I'm sorry," Sakura whispered coldly, turning away from him. "But right now it's unwanted." Robin sighed before turning around and quickly exiting the room. Sakura sighed before exiting the room herself.

\-------------------------------------------------------

Wayne Manor

October 23

Dick Grayson laid on his bed a book open in front of him. He sighed as he reread the sentence once more. The teen could not focus on anything, not even his favorite book. His eyes scanned over the words once more, reading the sentence, but the black ink just seemed to blur together, not even forming close to coherent words, let alone recognizable letters. The ebony haired teen reluctantly closed the book and tossed it to the side. The book landed on the edge of his bed and toppled over, hitting the floor.

"Dick…" a soft voice called quietly through his door. Said boy looked up and sighed, running a hand through his hair before standing up and slowly opening the door. The pinkette stood in front of him, looking at the floor with guilt. "Can we talk?"

"About what," Dick grumbled, walking back into his room. Since he didn't deny the request, Sakura entered the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

"You know what about," Sakura answered, sitting on the foot of his bed. Dick sighed and crawled to his headboard, on the complete opposite end of Sakura.

"About how I made a fool of myself?" Dick questioned. "Or how about the fact that you yelled at me for doing what I did?"

"Dick…you have to understand something," Sakura said seriously. "I've been training to be a shinobi since I was four. One of the first things they teach us, and something they never let us forget is that emotions are a burden, especially on the battlefield. Your mind and judgment become clouded and you can't think straight. When Artemis died, I knew that it was true. Wally's reaction just proved my teachers right.

"And when you kissed me, something inside me snapped. Those words rang through my head. And they wouldn't stop," Sakura told him.

"You didn't have to push me away like that! You didn't have to yell at me!" Dick shouted at her.

"I know!" Sakura replied. Her eyes widened, shocked at the volume of her own voice. "I know…" she repeated quietly. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Then why did you?" Dick sighed, placing a hand on his head and looking at her sadly.

"The timing, the place, the reasons…none of it seemed right, it all seemed wrong," Sakura whispered. "You only told me that because you thought we were going to die."

"What's so bad about that?" Dick muttered, burying his face in his knees. "I just wanted you to know how I felt. It all felt so real, so I just decided I should tell you, before it was too late; before I was too late."

"But you weren't, we're here now. It wasn't real," Sakura reminded him softly.

"But that doesn't change anything," Dick sighed, hitting his against the headboard. "The war, the alien invasion, that may have been fake. But my feelings aren't. They weren't created due to the war. My feelings have been there for a while. Ever since…ever since Bruce locked us up in that room."

"Dick…" Sakura whispered in shock.

"But who am I kidding?" the boy wonder muttered, looking at his ceiling sadly. "I never stood a chance. Not against Sasuke."

"I never told you…did I?" Sakura asked quietly.

"Tell me what?" the ebony asked, looking at her in confusion.

"Sasuke left…" Sakura informed him sadly. "He left to go and train with Orochimaru. He left us. You knew that part though. What you didn't know, what I never told you was that Naruto and a few others went after him…but…Sasuke nearly killed him. He didn't care about us at all. He didn't even say anything when I told him that I loved him. He just knocked me out and left me on a bench in the middle of the night." The pinkette looked away and picked at a few loose threads of Dick's comforter.

"I'm sorry," Dick whispered, sliding over to her and hesitantly hugging her. Sakura wrapped her arms around him to return the hug.

"Don't be…nothing could change his mind," Sakura sighed. "He's too set on getting his revenge."

"Is that why…" Dick trailed off, pulling back from the hug.

"Yes…" the pinkette nodded, looking away.

"Sakura, you know I'm nothing like him," Dick smiled softly, stroking her cheek. "I'd never hurt you like that."

"I know…but I'm still afraid of something happening…" Sakura whispered, gently placing her hand over his hand. "Pain like that doesn't go away so easily."

"Give me a chance…" Dick whispered leaning forward. "Let me prove that I truly do love you." Their lips were centimeters apart and their breath mingled together. Dick watched Sakura's emerald eyes disappear behind her eyelids. He closed his blue eyes and leaned forward, kissing her once more. "…is that a yes?" Dick smirks slightly when they separate.

"Please…don't make me regret this…" Sakura whispered, looking at him with desperate eyes.

"I won't, I promise I won't," Dick smiled, nuzzling her cheek. Sakura giggled slightly and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Good, because I won't be the only one to hurt you, Tsunade will be there as well," Sakura chuckled, tapping his nose. She looked up for a second and rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Cherī said that she will take over my body and kick your ass if you break my heart like Sasuke did."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Dick smiled, kissing her lightly.

"Good," Sakura smiled, standing up. "I gotta go. Ino made me promise to tell her when we got together."

"Alright, good night," Dick smiled.

"Night Dickie," Sakura giggled, exiting the room quickly. Dick leaned over his bed and picked up his book, opening it once more. This time he didn't have any trouble reading the words on the page.


	30. Chapter 30

Mount Justice

October 31

"Do we have to?" Sakura whined as she followed Robin. Both of them were dressed in their normal uniforms.

"Yes, we do," Robin chuckled. Sakura pouted and grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

"But, I wanted to go trick or treating!" the pinkette smiled happily.

"Uh, you're twelve. Aren't you a little old for that?" Robin asked in confusion.

"No," Sakura pouted. "My first Halloween and I don't even get to go trick or treating."

"Oh come on, it isn't your first Halloween," Robin smirked, leading Sakura down the hallway once more.

"Yes it is," Sakura answered. "The village doesn't celebrate Halloween. It's considered disrespectful because there are so many shinobi that are experimented on until they look like monsters. Instead of trick or treating, we come together to honor the passing of several shinobi, and then have a small party where there are games and treats, but no candy. Little kids are tucked into bed early with tales of the shinobi that scarified their lives to keep them safe. It's an honorable day."

"Huh, so I guess this is your first Halloween," Robin muttered.

"Yeah, and I thought I would get to spend it trick-or-treating with you," Sakura giggled, burying her head in his arm.

"Sorry, but duty calls," Robin smiled. They entered the waterfall room and the ebony teen smirked. "If you want to complain, then tell Batman." Sakura squeaked and quickly scanned the room. She sighed in relief when she didn't see said hero.

"That was really mean Birdie," the pinkette pouted. Robin smiled, and kissed her forehead.

"Well well, isn't that an interesting development," Red Arrow smirked.

"Shut it Red Arrow," Robin smirked, sitting down, his cape hanging off the back of the chair. "At least I have a girlfriend."

"Oh no, that's not what's interesting," Red Arrow smirked. "What's interesting is that you finally confessed."

"How long will this meeting last?" Sakura asked, sitting on the arm of the chair. She smirked and slid into Robin's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. She giggled and gave him a quick kiss before nuzzling into his shoulder.

"This should not take long," Aqualad answered.

"Great, so we could probably still go trick or treating!" Sakura smiled.

"We don't even have costumes, not ones that wouldn't be obvious anyway," Robin reminded her.

"Says you," Sakura smirked, sticking her tongue out. "I got a costume two days ago. And I got one for you too. You'll love it!"

"What did you get?" Kaldur asked. Sakura opened her mouth to speak when Batman and Red Tornado entered the room.

"Computer, secure the room," Batman ordered.

Secured

"I'll get right to it," Batman told them. "Do we really believe there is a mole in the team?"

"I am convinced there is no mole," Aqualad said, stepping forward. "When Sportsmaster claimed that he had an 'inside source' I believe he was merely sowing discord."

"His intel could have easily come from comparing notes with the villains from the Injustice League," Robin agreed. He chuckled and folded his arms behind his head. "And think about, if anyone was working with those creeps-"

"He or she could have betrayed us when we fought against them," Kaldur finished.

"There's a chance that Sportsmaster was telling the truth," Sakura interjected. "There's still a lot we don't know about our team members."

"I'm not convinced either," Red Arrow told them. "Sure, you three and Kid Flash are above suspicion, and let's face it, you could probably rob a bank and no one would think of you four."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Sakura asked perplexedly.

"Besides, I know Artemis isn't shooting straight," Red Arrow huffed. "She isn't even Green Arrow's niece."

"What?" Kaldur asked in shock.

"Well yeah she's-" Robin was cut off by Batman placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Artemis's family relations may make her a suspect, but she's still entitled to a secret identity," Batman told them.

"Besides, your family relations don't define you," Sakura protested, standing up. She crossed her arms, glaring at Red Arrow. "My parents were nothing but merchants; I didn't follow them and go into the family business. Your family doesn't define you, it's what you yourself do, and that's what defines a person. Artemis has done nothing wrong! She's fought beside us and become like my big sister!" She paused and huffed, drumming her fingers against her arms. "I said she was like a big sister! Not that she was! But she certainly acts more sisterly than you do."

"I'm more concerned about Superboy," Batman confessed. "Truth of the matter is we don't very much about what Cadmus programmed into their 'weapon'. Conner could be the mole and just not know it."

"And what about Miss Martian?" Red Arrow asked.

"What about M'gann?" Sakura asked.

"Simple, she may be Manhunter's niece, but he told Black Canary that he has a few hundred nieces and nephews. And he didn't even meet M'gann until five months ago, when she stowed away on his ship from his last trip from Mars to Earth," Red Arrow explained.

"That changes nothing," Aqualad told him. "I have fought side by side with these people. None of them are traitors."

"If you are so sure," Batman nodded. "We will resume this at another time. Computer, unlock the room."

Unlocked

"Yay! Come on Birdie, we gotta get our costumes!" Sakura smiled, taking his arm and dragging him towards the door.

"Do I have to go with you? I have patrol," Robin reminded her. Sakura looked at Batman pleadingly.

"Gotham is dangerous at night, especially Halloween night," Batman said "But, there could be some benefits from having a pair of eyes on the ground and keep control over the pranks and small crimes."

"Yay!" Sakura cheered, dragging him out of the room. "C'mon! You'll love your costume! I know it!"

"What did you get?" Robin muttered.

\------------------------------------------------

"I cannot believe you did that!" Wally laughed, pointing at Sakura and Robin. The Boy Wonder was currently dressed up as Batman and the pinkette was wearing a black body suit and cat eared cowl to make her look like Catwoman. Robin scowled at him and crossed his arms, glaring at his friend.

"I saw them and I couldn't resist," Sakura giggled behind her gloved hands.

"Who are you supposed to be?" M'gann asked, looking at Sakura's costume.

"Catwoman," The pinkette smiled, winking at her.

"You should have seen Batman's face when we came out," Robin smirked.

"Oh man! We know about Batman and Catwoman even in Central!" Wally laughed, gripping his sides.

"What's the big deal?" Superboy asked.

"Catwoman and Batman have got it bad for each other," Artemis smirked. "They fight but they flirt while doing it, and everyone knows that they really just want to hook up. I think their little affair is famous all over the world."

"Yes, even those in Atlantis know about them," Aqualad nodded.

"Oh, you want to know what made these costumes even better?" Sakura asked, looking inside her candy bag.

"Oh yeah," Robin cackled. "We were caught by the real Catwoman! She laughed at us and gave us a hug!"

"Nice," Red Arrow smirked, giving him a high-five. "I swear you were trying to send Batman a message, even though you didn't know about the costume."

"So, how was the dance?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Oh, it was nothing," M'gann smiled.

"This kid, Marvin, tried playing a prank that Martians were invading," Wally smirked. "And then, when we found out, M'gann shape-shifted to look like a scary version of the Marvin the Martian cartoon guy, and made Marvin believe that we were actually being invaded. And we pretended to 'die' for the cause. I was zapped, and Conner was beaten to death."

"Nice," Robin and Sakura smirked.

"I was out with Zatanna beating bad guy butt in Manhattan, you will not believe the night we had," Artemis smirked.

"Tell us!" Sakura smiled, clapping her hands.

"Are you going to share that candy?" Artemis laughed, trying to grab the bag.

"No way! You can't take it! It's mine!" The pinkette pouted. She laughed as she ran away with Artemis chasing her around the mission room. The others laughed as well, watching the two run around.


	31. Chapter 31

Mount Justice

November 5

"Alright, so you know the rules?" Tsunade smirked, ruffling Dick's hair.

"I'm pretty sure we're covered on the dating rules," Sakura smiled up at her mentor.

"Good, don't do anything I wouldn't do," Tsunade smiled.

"That's not very good advice coming from an alcoholic gambler," Dick smirked.

"Watch it kid," Tsunade chuckled as they approached the zeta tubes.

"Well, it is true," Sakura giggled.

"Yeah yeah," Tsunade rolled her eyes and waved them off. "Well this is my stop. You better be careful you two. And keep Sakura safe."

"She doesn't need me for that," Dick smiled.

"I know, but I need to say it," Tsunade said. "See you later, Sakura." She opened her arms for a hug and Sakura smiled, moving towards her. Her emerald eyes widened when her mentor disappeared in front of her.

"Tsunade-sama," She called, looking around.

"She just vanished," Robin told her, looking around in shock.

"Rob! We've got a problem!" Wally shouted, racing into the room. "Batman, Zatara, and Red Tornado have all disappeared!"

"What?" Robin asked in shock. "So did Tsunade."

"Where have the adults gone?" Sakura asked in fear.

\-------------------------------------------------

"Alright, we've set up…a refuge center in the high school gym," Wally announced. "You guys having any luck?"

"No, I can't contact the Batcave, the Justice League, or the Watchtower," Robin answered. "I can't even call Red Arrow."

"I've been trying to call the villages, but I haven't had any luck yet," Sakura sighed, punching a number in her phone.

"Looks like we're on our own here," Wally sighed through the comm. link. "Kid Flash out."

"All traditional media is offline," Zatanna announced. "TV, radio, you name it, it's gone. But children everywhere are all blogging about the same thing. Every adult 18 or older has disappeared."

"That would explain why we can't contact Red Arrow," Sakura nodded.

"Have you heard Cherī yet?" Robin asked. Sakura closed her eyes, remaining silent for a moment.

"She's still there. But I doubt she could take over, not unless she wants my body to disappear to who knows where," Sakura answered. "I mean, I know I turn older, but I have no clue as to how old. I'm still a bit iffy on Cherī's age."

"The sorcery necessary to pull this off is scary big," Zatanna told them.

"Which is why we're going to need you to try and track that power," Robin told her.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Zatanna asked in disbelief.

"Simple," Robin smirked, pulling up video footage. "I pulled up this footage of your dad helping us find Wotan and the Injustice League last month." The video filled his screen. "All you need to do is repeat the spell and we should be good to go."

"Robin, the words are only part of the spell," Zatanna sighed. "It takes practice and training and…I'm not on my dad's level."

"Don't worry, we'll find your dad, and Batman, all of them, so stay whelmed alright?" Robin smiled. "This is what we do."

"Alright," Zatanna smiled.

"Sakura, I want you to go down to the refuge and heal any kids that need help," Robin ordered.

"Alright," Sakura nodded, running towards the zeta tubes.

"Alright, all the children have been bandaged up," Sakura announced. "Or at least, all the ones that are here."

"I've got one more for ya," Superboy told her quietly, sitting in front of her with a little blonde girl and that holding her arm and crying.

"What happened to you sweetheart," Sakura cooed, gently taking the crying girl.

"She was in the front seat of a car…it was crashed into a pole," Conner explained. Sakura nodded, and brushed the hair out of the girl's eyes.

"Sweetie, can you calm down for a second and tell your big sister what hurts?" she whispered.

"My whole arm…" the little girl sniffed. "I can't lift it." Sakura hummed to herself and gently picked up the arm, tenderly prodding the bruised limb.

"It's nothing I can't fix," she smiled, looking around. "But be quiet, we can't let anyone else see this. This is a secret power." The girl tilted her head in confusion and watched Sakura's hand glow green. She marveled in awe as the pain in her arm subsided. She gasped and looked at the girl with wide eyes. "Shhh!" Sakura winked, placing a finger against her lips. The little girl giggled and repeated the action before running off to join her friends.

"Good thing you decided to come in uniform," Superboy muttered, nodding to her outfit.

"Alright, I've looked all around town three times, and there are no more kids left," Wally announced, placing two twins on the ground. The twins quickly ran off to join their middle school friends.

"Then we should head back," Artemis told them.

"Guys, we're going to go double check the town and see if there's anything else we can do!" M'gann shouted to her classmates. "Stay here and keep an eye on the kids."

"Don't worry, they're safe with us!" Karen nodded, picking up a small boy.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

"Alright, thank you," Sakura said into her phone. "Yes, we'll have the adults back in no time. Thanks for your help Lee." Sakura hung up the phone and dialed another number.

"Well?" Robin asked.

"So far I have no adults in Konoha, the Land of Waves and several other villages. I'm about to check on Suna," Sakura told him. "Gaara thank god you answered, are there any adults in Suna?" She was quiet for a moment before nodding. "I had no idea. Just finish the mission and get back there. All adults from the world have vanished without a trace. Yes, we'll get Temari back safe and sound. Thank you." She hung up and slipped her phone in her pocket. "Gaara and his siblings were on a mission and Temari vanished. I'm going to say that there are no adults in Suna either."

"Even Atlantis wasn't spared," Kaldur announced, as he entered the room. "Garth and Tula have informed me that all adults were gone."

"This is bad," Robin sighed, typing away at the holocomputer. "Because, not only are we looking at no adults period, we're also looking at every country, city, town, and even the hidden villages and Atlantis all without a leader. Who knows what's going to happen if we don't get the adults back fast enough."

"I shall go check on Kid Flash," Kaldur told them. "We need to decide just how desperate we are."

"Right," Robin and Sakura nodded in agreement. Sakura's phone went off and she pulled it out, pressing it to her ear without a second thought.

"Hello?" She asked. She froze, her eyes becoming downcast.

"Sakura?" Robin asked, walking over to the pinkette.

"Sasuke…" Sakura muttered. "Why are you calling me?"

"Put it on speaker," Robin whispered. Sakura nodded and pulled the phone away, pressing a button.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Orochimaru just disappeared," Sasuke told her through the phone. "So, is this a pathetic attempt to get me to come back to the village?"

"No. Why would I want you back after everything you've done," Sakura bit back.

"Just give him back, or I'll be forced to take drastic measures," Sasuke threatened.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked.

"I've grown a lot stronger in the past few months. I'm pretty sure that none of the villages would be able to stop me, should I decide to attack. So either you give Orochimaru back, or I'll declare war on Konoha." Sasuke told her. Sakura looked up at Robin, who shook his head, and urged her to continue.

"Please, all of Orochimaru's men were adults. And in case you haven't noticed, every single adult is gone. You've got no one," Sakura muttered.

"That may be, but Orochimaru does have quite a few teenage members, remember? And there are more out there, I can easily recruit more shinobi," Sasuke smirked.

"Sasuke, you know that Orochimaru is just using you, don't you?" Sakura shouted into the phone.

"Of course I do. I'm not an idiot like you," Sasuke sighed. "Besides, there is another problem with all the adults missing."

"And what would that be?" Sakura asked.

"Itachi. My brother has disappeared. If you do not bring him back, then I will transfer my revenge on him to you," Sasuke answered. "If they aren't back by morning, then you kiss Konoha and your life goodbye. Goodbye Sakura. And goodbye Robin." With that the line went dead. Sakura fell to her knees, staring into space.

"Sakura, don't worry," Robin whispered, kneeling next to her. "We'll find them, we'll get them back." He pulled Sakura against him and kissed her forehead, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"Guys, I'm ready," Zatanna announced, entering the room with Kid Flash and Kaldur. Artemis, M'gann, and Conner rushed into the room a few moments later.

"Then let's get started," Robin nodded, pulling up the holomap.

"Hey…what happened?" Artemis asked quietly as she and M'gann helped Sakura stand up.

"Nothing, I was just shaken up," Sakura lied. "I got a hold of all the villages, and they don't have adults either."

"Zatanna, we don't have a moment to lose, do the spell," Robin ordered. Zatanna nodded and approached the holographic globe.

"Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros!" Zatanna recited, holding up her wand.

"Coordinates locked," Robin announced. "The epicenter is at Roanoke Island. You did it Zatanna."


	32. Chapter 32

Lightning flashed behind the group and the sound of thunder clapped. "It worked!" A voice gasped. The team turned around and saw a young boy standing behind.

"Who are you?" Aqualad demanded as they approached the boy. "And how did you get in here?"

"Quick! Read my mind!" The boy demanded. M'gann's eyes turned white and she gasped rather quickly.

"He's Captain Marvel!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, and I'm Speedy Gonzales," Wally scoffed. "Just because he believes he's the captain, doesn't mean he is."

"Ask me anything that only the Captain would know," He dared.

"Alright, the Captain did find this out," Sakura nodded, stepping forward. "What are our secret identities?"

"Sakura, Wally, Artemis, M'gann, Kaldur, and Conner," the boy answered without missing a beat. "Robin refuses to tell anyone his ID because of a rule Batman has. And in case you need further proof, I served Wally pineapple juice and nachos while he was resting his arm. Robin and Sakura dressed up as Batman and Catwoman for Halloween, while M'gann was a zombie bride, Wally was a werewolf, Conner was a mummy, Artemis was a vampire, and Zatanna was a witch."

The group stood in shock looking at each other before looking at him once more.

"Oh I knew it!" Sakura gasped, clapping her hands. "I knew Captain Marvel acted like a kid! He is a kid!"

"With Captain Marvel, we could form a plan with the adults and merge the two worlds back together," Robin realized.

"Alright, then let's get started," Aqualad nodded.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Roanoke Island

Sakura, Robin, and Artemis stealthily approached the magic circle where Klarion was standing. The three took out their kunais, birdarangs, and arrows respectively, launching the weapons at the witch boy. A shield appeared at his back and he smirked, turning around to face the shocked teens.

"That's the best you can do?" He taunted. He waved his hand and red lightning flew at them, blasting them off of their feet. Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Superboy ran at Klarion, preparing to knock him off his feet. Klarion simply yawned and a force field covered the pentagram in a few short seconds. The heroes slammed into it and were sent flying back.

"Etativel mih ffo eht margatnep!" Zatanna commanded.

"Baby magic," Klarion scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Fi ehs stnaw ot etativel os yldab, tel reh." He waved his hand and Zatanna was sent flying off the ground. Superboy ran over to her and caught her before she could slam into the ground. Sakura growled and flipped herself upright. She grabbed the trunk of a tree and lifted it out of the ground, roots and all. The shinobi let out a cry and threw the tree at the Lord of Chaos.

"Dnes eht eert kcab ot eht lrig," Klarion sighed, waving his hand. The tree came to a stop before it turned around and rocketed towards Sakura. "Ezeerf reh teef ot eht dnuorg!" Sakura attempted to run but her feet were frozen to the ground.

"Look out!" Robin shouted, pushing her out of the way. The two watched the tree slam into Sakura's boots, which the pinkette had slid out of when Robin saved her.

"Aw man!" Sakura shouted in anger, looking at her bare feet. "Those were cute too!"

She turned around and glared at Klarion, jumping to her feet. Robin followed her lead and took out a few exploding disks. Sakura took out her kunai and the two ran towards Klarion, preparing the explosives. Klarion smirked and waved his hand as the weapons came close. They floated in the air before turning around and flying back to their owners. Sakura and Robin both jumped out of the way but the weapons turned, homing in on their owners. Robin took out a few disks and threw them at the rouge ones, making them explode. Sakura turned around and began running away from her kunai, putting distance between herself and them.

"Release!" She commanded, sliding to a stop. The kunais exploded, and the pinkette ran back to the pentagram.

"So, you teamed up with the grownups huh?" Klarion hissed. "Teamwork is so overrated." Lightning came out of the jewel in the center of the pentagram and Klarion redirected it to hit, Aqualad, Artemis, and Robin. As Kid Flash came near, he was hit as well.

"Enough is enough!" Sakura shouted, raising her hands. She slammed her fist onto the ground, causing the rocks to the crack and split apart. The crack ran towards the magic circle, but hit the force field, stopping in its track.

"Please, you'll have to try better than that," the witch boy said with a smirk. He directed lightning to hit the pinkette, sending her flying back into a tree.

"Yeah…I hear ya sis, so take over already!" Sakura growled. Her eyes turned amber and her hair grew longer.

"Klarion!" Cherī growled, running towards the force field. She slammed her fists on it, ignoring the pain.

"Guess we need to increase your dose of lightning," Klarion sighed, redirecting lightning to hit her once more.

"Don't shout Billy. I've linked you to the others. We're all sharing a telepathic mind link," M'gann's voice said in her mind.

"Wow! That is so cool! Wait! No time for that!" Billy gasped. "It's the gem! The one in the center of the pentagram! Destroy it and we win! Everything will return to normal!"

"Got it kid! Just leave the rest to us on this side! Go help the adults!" Cherī grunted as the lightning stopped and a Dr. Fate rose into the sky, using Zatanna as a host body.

"Klarion!" He called in his two voices "This ends now!"

"She's right Billy! Go tell Zatara that Zatanna just put on the helmet!" M'gann ordered. She and Aqualad assisted Cherī and Doctor Fate in attacking the force field, attempting to break it. Fate flickered for a moment, leaving Zatanna in the air before she wore the helmet once more.

"Ha! Do you see that Nabu?" Klarion hissed. "When the world divided, so did the helmet! You're not completely here! And you're losing your grip on that poor soon to be dead girl! Guess she's going to die for nothing."

"No witch boy! Fate decrees that her sacrifice will not be in vain," Dr. Fate shot a beam of magic at the force field, as M'gann, Cherī and Aqualad increased their attack.

"No no no no no no NO!" Klarion shouted in anger as the force field dropped. Dr. Fate threw an Ankh symbol at the teenage boy, trapping him.

"Now Kid!" Aqualad demanded. Kid Flash ran through the pentagram, grabbing the gem.

"Doc! Catch!" He shouted, throwing the mystic gem.

"Yam eht owt emoceb eno ecno erom!" Doctor Fate chanted quickly. The adults flashed into existence and all the sorcerers fell to the ground in exhaustion.

"They sure don't make evil immortal sorcerers like they used to," Klarion sighed. He snapped his fingers and his Ankh prison disappeared. He stood up and casually brushed the dirt off of his clothes. "It was fun while it lasted, come on Teekl!" The giant cat jumped off of Superboy and ran over to its master, returning to the normal cat size. "See ya later armadillos! You know, unless I seek you out first!" He laughed and jumped into a portal, disappearing.

"Aren't you going to go catch him?" Wally asked Doctor Fate.

"For what reason?" Fate countered. "Catching him will do nothing. Klarion is chaos personified and cannot be contained."

"Cherī," Tsunade called, walking up to the dark pinkette. Cherī looked up at her and hardened her amber eyes. "Release her now."

"Not yet," Cherī answered. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned in to whisper in Tsunade's ears. "As much as Sakura hates to admit it, one of her favorite parts of this is falling into Robin's arms. Do you really want to take that away?" She pulled back and noticed that Tsunade had a smirk on her face.

"Did we win?" Robin groaned as he and Artemis woke up.

"Yes, but at a cost," Aqualad nodded, looking up at Doctor Fate.

"Who put the helmet on this time?" Artemis asked.

"Zatanna," Cherī answered simply, walking over to the group.

"Fate!" Zatara shouted angrily. "Great Nabu," he corrected, using a more polite, but still stern tone. "Release my daughter at once!"

Fate was silent for a moment, looking down on him. "No." he answered lowly. "Witness the havoc and chaos that happened tonight! The world needs Doctor Fate. And the girl's natural affinity for magic makes her the perfect candidate."

"You can't do that!" Artemis protested.

"Zatanna has her own life to live!" Robin shouted at the Lord of Order.

"Kent would never allow you to keep her!" Wally shouted at him.

"You are correct, he did oppose, greatly," Fate nodded. "So I sent his soul to the afterlife." The group looked silently at each other, not knowing what to do.

"Release her now!" Cherī ordered, stepping forward. "The world may need Doctor Fate but I'm pretty sure he isn't needed 24/7. Release her and let her live her life. When Doctor Fate is needed, she could easily put the helmet right back on! That allows you to take over and stop whatever chaos needs to be stopped! That type of relationship can work perfectly."

"It may work for you and your sister," Nabu growled. "But the world needs Doctor Fate constantly."

"Then take me instead!" Zatara shouted. "My magic abilities have reached their peak. My body is physically stronger and can take the strain of your powers much longer than her body could."

"All true, but what guarantee do I have that you'll put the helmet on once I release her?" Nabu pointed out.

"My word," Zatara answered. "Ekat em daetsi." The two stood in silence for a moment before Doctor Fate descended to the ground. He pulled the helmet off, releasing Zatanna.

"Dad!" She gasped, hugging her father. Zatara pressed his lips to his daughter's forehead, giving her a kiss.

"Remember that I will always love you," he whispered, gently pulling the Helmet of Fate out of her hands. "Will you take care of my daughter?" He asked, turning towards the league.

"You have my word," Batman said solemnly.

"No dad, don't! This was my fault!" Zatanna shouted as her father approached the villains. "Dad!" she screamed in anguish as her father put on the helmet, transforming into Doctor Fate.

"It is his fate," Nabu told her. He lifted the sorcerers into the sky and disappeared in a flash of light. Zatanna fell to her knees in shock.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Mount Justice

November 6

"Tsunade-sama, you scared me," Sakura whispered, hugging her mentor.

"And you scared me as well," Tsunade chuckled. "Don't worry though, I'll always be here for you, no matter what. I have to go now."

"Yes, get back to the village and lead them," Sakura nodded. "Give everyone a few days off, this was a stressful time, especially for the teens. They had a lot of responsibility thrust at them with no warning."

"Yes, I do believe that is a good idea," Tsunade nodded. "I'll see you again."

"Bye Tsunade-sama," Sakura smiled, waving goodbye as her mentor left through the zeta tubes.

"So, she's gone back to the village?" Robin asked, approaching her.

"Yeah," Sakura nodded.

"Does she know about Sasuke and his threats?" the boy asked.

"I told her about Sasuke threatening war, but not about me taking Itachi's place," Sakura answered. "Itachi is back where he belongs, so I no longer need to worry. Sasuke can take his revenge on him and he won't harm me…not for that reason at least."

"Don't worry, I won't ever let him harm you, not again," Robin assured her, pulling her into a hug. He kissed her forehead and rubbed her back.

"Thanks Birdie," Sakura whispered, wrapping her arms around him. "I know I can count on you."


	33. Chapter 33

Mount Justice

November 22

Sakura narrowed her eyes and looked at her battle fan in concentration.

"You making any progress?"Robin asked, leaning against the wall.

"I don't know," the pinkette sighed. She walked over to a table and set down the fan, picking up one that was bigger in size, but lighter. "Temari gave me so many choices," Sakura sighed, walking back over to the target range. "I don't know if I should go with large and lightweight, small and heavyweight, or some other combination. And then there's the style, Temari painted the metals all different ways, and some of the fan have spikes, while others are just a blade, I don't know which one to choose." The pinkette narrowed her eyes and threw the fan at the red and white target. The blade of the fan hit it dead center and stuck inside the board.

"Aren't there fans that can also act like boomerangs and come back once you throw them?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, but that's only if it slices through the target or misses it. If the fan gets stuck on this target, then it's going to get stuck in a body or a tree. Guess like that one's out." Sakura walked over to the fan and pulled it out of the target. "But this one did get wedged in there pretty tight." She placed the fans with the others and narrowed her eyes, examining them.

"Robin, Superboy, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, and Kunoichi, report for mission briefing," Batman ordered through the intercoms.

"Guess its mission time," Robin smiled. Sakura sighed and picked up a few of the fans, placing them in her belt.

"Let's go," the pinkette nodded.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

"Rumaan Harjavti is the democratically elected president of Qurac," Batman announced, showing a picture of the president. "Harjavti has been praised as a fair and wise leader; a humanitarian." A video feed came up showing Bruce Wayne and Harjavti shaking hands with camera flashes going off.

"Sure, any friend of Bruce Wayne's," Kid Flash muttered to Robin and Sakura.

"However, five days ago, Harjavti became allies with Queen Bee. The dictator of the neighboring country of Bialya," Batman told them.

"Not a fan," Conner scoffed.

"Few are," the masked knight agreed. "But Harjavti is suddenly agreeing with Bee's claim that Qurac was once a part of Bialya in ancient times. He announced that the two countries will be reunified once more in two days, in a ceremony taking place in Qurac." A video feed of Harjatvi's speech began.

"After the ceremony is complete, I will step down as president, and pass the rule over to our rightful monarch, Queen Bee," Harjavti announced. The people off screen were shouting in protest.

"I applaud Harjavti for reunifying our people," Queen Bee smiled. "And I will gladly go over to Qurac and accept the position as leader of this nation."

"And the Quracies are okay with this?" Wally asked in shock.

"Hardly," Batman said with a scowl as pictures of protesters appeared. "The people are well aware of Queen Bee's harsh ruling, and don't want it. But Harjavti has censored the press and silenced all protests and invited the Bialyan troops into the country in order to enforce martial law."

"Queen Bee has to be controlling Harjavti," Robin declared. "Doesn't she have the ability to seduce and enthrall all men?"

"And some women," Batman nodded. "But we have had confirmed reports that Queen Bee has been in her country, she hasn't stepped foot outside of Bialya. Her powers don't work long distance."

"So she isn't controlling Harjavti, but someone else is," Sakura realized. "Possibly one of her minions. I mean, if someone had the same powers as Ino's clan, who knows what they could do."

"Doesn't Ino control plants?" Conner asked in confusion.

"No, I mean yes. But that power is limited only to her. Her family has a special jutsu, one that I've been subjected to a few times before." A keyboard appeared under her figners and Sakura typed in a few things. The statistics and instructions to the jutsu were shown. "Using the Mind Transfer Jutsu, you can shot your soul into someone else's body temporarily, kind of when Cherī takes over. Except the body doesn't change. Several times before Ino has placed her soul in someone else's body. There are a few down sides to it though. One, is that you can only shoot straight. If the person moves out of the way, you've missed. And two, whether or not you missed the target, your soul will remain outside of your body for several minutes, basically turning it into a corpse," Sakura explained. "If someone was either a telepath, or had those powers, or even possibly a shape shifter like M'gann, they could easily control the president or take his place without anyone knowing the difference."

"Exactly," Batman nodded. "Your job is to find out what is controlling Harjavti and put a stop to it. Robin, you're team leader."

"Alright, promotion!" Wally cheered, holding up his hand for a high-five.

"What about Aqualad?" Robin questioned.

"He's away on an assignment with Aquaman," Batman answered.

"Great," the Boy Wonder sighed.

"Uh dude…you've left me hanging," Wally muttered, pointing to his still raised hand. Sakura rolled her eyes and pulled the hand down harshly.

\---------------------------------------------------------

Qurac

"We're right above the Qurac-Bialya border," Robin announced.

"Yeah, and look who's ignoring the border right this second," Wally huffed, pointing down at the Bialyan tanks that were running over some fences.

"And there's no opposition," Superboy sighed. "Guess the two countries really are in bed together."

"Don't expect any opposition from here," Robin sighed, looking at the map on his wrist computer. "It's an animal sanctuary."

"The Logan Animal Sanctuary?" M'gann asked in shock.

"Yeah, you've heard of it?" Robin asked in shock.

"Guys, those tanks are causing a stampede, with civilians in the way!" Wally announced.

"I see them!" Superboy shouted. "A woman and a young boy."

"We have to help them!" M'gann declared.

"We'd be going way off mission if we did," Robin told them.

"Robin, you can't honestly expect us to leave those two to get hurt, do you?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

"No, deploy, but in stealth mode. If the Bialyans know that we hit them, this will become an international incident," Robin ordered. M'gann began shooting at the tanks. A hatched opened and Robin tossed out a smoke bomb to blind the soldiers. Wally jumped out of the bioship and ran through the smoke, collecting guns and pushing aside the soldiers. Superboy jumped out of the bioship and grabbed the horns of the lead wildebeest. He shoved him on the ground and the stampede split, avoiding the two civilians.

"Oryx!" the boy shouted as the small animal leaped through the heard. M'gann levitated the animal while Sakura jumped out, gently accepting the animal. She hummed softly and stroked the oryx's mane.

"You guys okay?" Robin asked, appearing behind the family. Kid Flash zoomed over to him, tossing aside the guns.

"Whoa…" the boy whispered. He turned to his shocked mother in excitement, shaking her. "Mom, mom, mom! We just got saved by Robin! And Kid Flash!"

"Superboy, Miss Martian, and Kunoichi helped too," Kid Flash smiled as the first two joined him. Sakura walked the oryx over to the family.

"Oryx!" the boy gasped, running over to him.

"He wasn't damaged that badly, he's perfectly fine," Sakura smiled at the young boy.

"We've diverted the Bialyans away from the site, so you should be safe now," Robin told them.

"Yeah, as in no one's around. You can reveal yourself now Miss M," Wally muttered. M'gann appeared, and pulled her hair out from under her hood.

"Hi," she smiled softly.

"I'm sorry, but you may have just made things worse," the woman sighed. "Border crossings happen a lot around here. Normally the troops wreck a few fences and scare the animals before moving on. Attacking them might have turned us into targets."

"Mom, so not cool," the boy hissed. Sakura giggled at the young boy and walked over to Robin, letting the oryx walk off.

"Sorry, I should be thanking you," the woman sighed. "This is my son Garfield Logan, and I'm-"

"Marie Logan," M'gann gasped excitedly. "I can't believe I'm actually meeting you in person!" Marie turned around as the heard a whiny. The wildebeest limped over to them and the woman rushed over to it.

"The oryx is sick and I think you just injured this wildebeest," she scolded Superboy.

"Ummm…I'm sorry," Conner apologized uncertainty.

"No problem, I'm sure Sakura can fix him right up," Robin smiled, turning to the pinkette.

"Thank you for having such faith in my abilities," The pinkette smirked. "I've never healed a wildebeest before, but I have helped out at my friend Kiba's animal clinic, and I've healed lots of animals, do you mind if I try healing this one?" Sakura requested, stepping forward.

"Uh…I suppose it was unavoidable, but they both need to go to our clinic," Marie sighed. "We have everything we need there."

"The boys and Sakura can do that!" M'gann smiled. "And you and I can uh…fix your fences!"

"Miss M, that's not exactly what we're-"

"Robin!" The Martian smiled, folding her hands and pleading with him silently.

"Please mom," Garfield begged.

"Fine," Marie sighed.

"No, we have our mission and this isn't it," Robin said.

"Sakura! Get him to agree! Please!" M'gann begged through the mind link. Sakura rolled her eyes and pulled down her mask. She turned Robin to face him and pouted.

"Please," she pouted, batting her eyelashes. Robin's face turned red and he took a step back before sighing.

"Fine," he muttered.

"Yes!" M'gann and Garfield cheered.

"Thank you Robin," Sakura smiled, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!" M'gann giggled, hugging Sakura.

"Wow…you caved pretty easily," Wally snickered.

"Shut up…right now," Robin blushed.

\--------------------------------------------------------

Superboy let out a shout as a monkey dropped out of the trees and onto him. The monkey screeched and jumped off of him, and onto Wally, grabbing his snack bar. The monkey jumped off of the protesting and shouting red head and onto Garfield.

"It's okay, meet Monkey," he laughed.

"Nice name, but I hate monkeys," Conner growled. Monkey let out a shriek and chucked the bar at him. Superboy growled and glared at the monkey, who screeched back.

"Looks like Monkey hates Superboys," Robin smirked.

"Dude, be glad he only threw a protein bar. It could have been worse," Wally smirked.

"And beside, you can't really say anything. You named a wolf Wolf and a sphere Sphere," Sakura teased.

"I have a question, what was that earlier?" Garfield asked.

"What was what?" Superboy huffed, crossing his arms.

"You two," Garfield answered, pointing to Robin and Sakura.

"They're going out," Wally answered.

"KF! We can speak for ourselves," Robin huffed.

"Really, you two are going out?" Garfield asked in shock.

"Yep," Sakura nodded.

"That is cool!" He gasped as they climbed up the porch steps.

"Robin doesn't think so. He's got several dangerous ninjas breathing down his neck and if he makes one wrong move and hurts me, he'll be dead," Sakura laughed.

"That is so cool!" Garfield repeated. "I mean the whole you have a lot of dangerous ninja friends, not that he could die."

"Yeah, I guess that is pretty cool," Sakura giggled.

"So, pretty crazy about my mom and Miss Martian, huh?" Garfield asked as the boys sat down on the chairs.

"What are you talking about?" Conner asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the couch.

"I mean, she looks exactly like Marie, except greener and younger," Garfield answered.

"Really? I don't see it," Wally shook his head.

"Yeah, Miss Martian looks exactly like my mom did when she was on Hello Megan," Garfield smiled.

"Wait that was a TV show?" Wally asked in shock.

"I thought it was something she just said," Robin muttered.

"Yeah, on the TV show," Garfield nodded. "It was made before we were born, and it only had one season. You can't even find the show online."

"That's rare," Sakura whistled. "You can find anything online."

"I know!" Garfield smiled. He turned towards the cabinet under the TV screen in uncertainty. "I know mom has a tape somewhere…but the big question is…'where'? Give me a minute, I'll find it." He crouched down, and began sorting through the videos.

"So Pinky, you've been awfully quiet since Miss M and this Hello Megan thing was brought up," Wally smirked. "Are you keeping secrets from us?"

"What? Me keep secrets from you guys? No! I mean I know it's the whole shinobi ninja way to be secretive and stuff, but I would never keep anything from you!" Sakura said.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's why you never told us about your big sister," Conner smirked.

"Superboy, did you just use sarcasm?" Robin questioned.

"I tried…did I get it wrong?"

"No, that was a very good attempt," Wally smiled.

"Got it!" Garfield exclaimed. "Hello Megan the pilot episode!" He blew on the VHS, causing a small dust cloud to rise.

"Wow…I didn't know there were people that still had VHS, let alone VHS players," Wally muttered in shock.

"Wait! There's an aircraft heading this way!" Conner announced.

"I can hear it too," Sakura nodded.

"Gar, stay in here," Robin ordered as the teens rushed outside.

"What's going on?" M'gann asked as she and Marie walked towards them.

"Aircraft," Sakura answered. "By the sound of it, there are three of them." Just as she said that the others heard the jets as well. The aircrafts began shooting and M'gann pushed Marie to the ground as Conner jumped in front of them, shielding them from the bullets.

"My son! Where's my son?" Marie shouted.

"I told him to stay inside," Robin answered.

"He's eight! He doesn't take orders!" the mother yelled.

"Mom!" Garfield called from the clinic. The oryx and wildebeest were pouncing out of the barn. "I got the animals out of the clinic!" Bullets were directed at the clinic and hit a propane tank, causing an explosion.

"Garfield!" Marie screamed in panic as her son flew through the air. Miss Martian soared through the sky to catch Garfield.


	34. Chapter 34

"He's been knocked out," M'gann announced, gently giving him to his mother. She and Superboy rushed into battle as the aircrafts turned around to attack once more.

"I told you there would be consequences," Marie cried.

"There always are," Robin nodded. "Let's get him inside. Kunoichi, once he's down I want you to get straight to work healing his most severe injuries."

"Of course," Sakura nodded as they ran inside the building. Sakura quickly got to work, healing his head.

"Don't worry, Kunoichi's a professional," Robin assured Marie. Sakura moved her hands from Garfield's head to his torso, healing any injuries she came across.

\-----------------------------------------------------

"Alright, I've healed all the major injuries, including a few cracked ribs, trauma to the head and a broken arm, and I've also closed all of his cuts and wounds. But he's gone into shock," Sakura announced. "He needs a blood transfusion to replenish the blood that he lost in the explosion."

"Are any of you O negative?" Marie asked.

"No," Robin answered.

"I'm not," Kid Flash informed her.

"Neither am I," Marie sighed.

"Blossom, don't you have O negative?" Robin asked.

"No, my blood type is O, not O negative," Sakura sighed. "And O negative is the hardest blood type to match. Don't you have a supply of it just in case he needed some?"

"Yes, but it was in the clinic," Marie whispered.

"I can run him to the nearest hospital," Kid Flash suggested.

"The nearest hospital with a guaranteed blood supply is half an hour away even at your top speed. It's an even longer trip by bio ship," Robin announced.

"He can't wait that long, he won't make it," Sakura told them.

"What's Superboy's blood type?" Marie asked desperately.

"He's Kryptonian, not human. And Miss Martian-"

"May be able to help," said Martian cleared her throat and entered the room. "My shape shifting occurs at a cellular level. I might be able to change my blood to match his. But I need to concentrate, I can't have any distractions."

"Out, all of you, out," Marie ordered, pushing the boys out of the room.

"I'm sorry, but I need a sample of his blood," M'gann apologized. Sakura took out a kunai and pressed it lightly against his wrist. M'gann swept her finger against the cut, bringing up blood. Sakura placed her hand over the cut and healed it.

"I'm ready," Miss Martian announced.

"Marie, if you like, I can step out and allow you to take over, he is your son," Sakura smiled.

"Please," Marie begged. Sakura nodded and stood up, bowing before she left the room.

"How is he?" Kid Flash asked.

"I let Marie take over for me since it is her son and she's more than capable," the pinkette answered, pulling her hood up.

"And to top it all off, Harjavti is going to step down tomorrow," Robin sighed, rubbing his head. "When he does, he's going to allow all of Qurac to be in this level of danger." Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.

"We can complete the mission and keep Bialya away from Qurac," she assured him.

"KF, can you find a news station?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, just give me a moment to get the right remote," Wally nodded, holding several remotes. He pressed a button on one and it became static before a school bell rang.

Hello Megan~! School and boys and parents too~, a whole lot to juggle for miss you-know-who~. Hello Megan, Hello Megan! The teens looked at the TV in shock. On it was a red haired girl that looked like M'gann's human form. This cheerleader knows the score~, center of attention and so much more~! Hello Megan! Hello Megan! A little bit distractible but never to attractable~! She's really quiet attractable, okay a lot distractible~! Eventually she'll get a clu-ue~!

"Hello Megan!" the girl on screen smirked, hitting her head.

The girl for me, the girl for you~! Hello Megan! Hello Megan!

"Maybe it's a coincidence," Superboy suggested.

The theme music died out and they saw Megan rushing down the stairs. She wore a white shirt with a pink jacket and matching skirt.

"Mom, I'm going to the library to study!"

"But didn't you invite a certain someone to study here?" her mother asked with a smirk. The doorbell went off and the girl gasped playfully, hitting her head.

"Hello Megan!" The TV audience laughed as she finished her descent down the stairs to open the door. On the other side was a handsome boy with black hair. "Conner!" she gasped, giving him a hug, which the audience 'ooh'ed and whistled at. "I thought you'd never get here!"

"Oh yeah, pure coincidence," Wally smirked.

"It's done," M'gann announced, entering the room. Wally jumped, throwing the remote in the air before quickly catching it and trying to change the channel. The four of them looked like they were caught watching something highly inappropriate "All we can do now is wait."

"My fellow Quracies," the voice on the TV said.

"Is that Harjavti?" M'gann asked, approaching the TV.

"Queen Bee's rule is a blessing to Qurac," Harjavti continued.

"Hey, that guy in the back with the hood," Superboy gasped, pointing to the figure on the screen. "I know him!" Robin used his computer to zoom in on the image.

"It's Psimon!" M'gann announced. "We fought him the last time we were in Bialya. He was working for Queen Bee then, so he must be working for her now! He's controlling Harjavti because of orders from Queen Bee."

"Oh, I still remember the headache from when he brain blasted us," Kid Flash groaned, rubbing his head.

"We need to get Harjavti away from him," Robin declared.

"I think it worked," Marie announced, entering the room. "He's stable."

"Good, because we have our mission," Robin nodded.

\--------------------------------------------------------

"Well?" Sakura whispered. Robin turned the small video camera around before pulling the wire like object back into the vent and tucking it inside his utility belt.

"Harjavti's alone," Robin informed them. The vent opened and they jumped inside the room. Sakura and Robin walked over to the president, looking at the tired man.

"Where is my daughter?" he asked quietly. "Where is Psimon?"

"Don't worry about him, we have to get you out of here," Robin told him.

"And don't worry, we'll find your daughter," Sakura smiled under her mask. The doors around the room slammed open and soldiers came in, carrying and wearing weapons that gave off a low hum.

"Well well, American heroes here to assassinate the president," The leader drawled. "It's too bad we came too late to stop you."

"Those are apocalyptian weapons," Superboy informed them.

"Which they'll used to kill the president, we'll get all the blame, and Queen Bee will become leader of Qurac," Robin sighed.

"Not to mention Queen Bee could use the assassination to declare war on America," Sakura sighed in her head.

"Form up around the president," Robin ordered.

"I found Psimon!" M'gann gasped floating out of the room undetected.

"Wait!" Robin called.

"I'll go get her," Superboy suggested.

"No, the mission is Harjavti, let her go," Robin ordered.

"Besides, we get to have some fun of our own," Sakura smirked, taking out two of her battle fans. "Congratulations, you guys are the first to get a taste of Kunoichi's newest weapons!" Sakura threw the fans, slicing up some of the tech. The boys leapt into action as well, quickly taking down the soldiers. "Well, that only took about two minutes." Sakura clapped her hands and surveyed the damage done to the room. There was a small fire and the glass windows were shattered and cracked. The walls were charred because of blasts from the apocalyptian tech.

"Father!" A young woman screamed, entering the room.

"Daughter," Harjavti called in warmth. The young woman ran over to him, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you for saving my father," She told them. "We will take care of him now."

"Great, cause we have a psychic to go after," Sakura nodded, picking up her fans. She placed them back in her belt and followed the others out the door.

"M'gann! We're coming to help you!" Conner told her as they entered a theatre. A ringing noise shot through their skulls and they felt their brains pulse and bang in their head before they all passed out.

\--------------------------------------------------

"Ugh and there's the headache," Wally groaned as they sat up.

"Well, at least we didn't forget anything this time," Sakura muttered, rubbing her head.

"Where's Psimon?" Robin grunted as he stood up shakily.

"He brain blasted you, but I stopped him," M'gann answered, turning to look at him. Sakura jumped up and ran over to him, pressing a finger against his neck.

"He's alive, but I think you put him in a catatonic state," Sakura told them.

"Wow, remind me not to get on your bad side," Kid Flash whistled.

\----------------------------------------------------

Queen Bee entered the room, quickly closing the door behind her. The woman changed, turning into M'gann.

"Sorry you had to lie to everyone like that," Robin sighed. "It was the only thing I could think of to convince the public that Queen Bee was behind all of this."

"Putting on a show and having Harjavti shout that Queen Bee was controlling him, was genius," Sakura told him. "And with M'gann turned into Queen Bee she could 'admit' that it was her plan all along."

"Dude, you saved a country," Wally smiled, punching Robin's shoulder. "That's a pretty big victory for your first mission as leader."

"Way to go Robin!" Sakura cheered, hugging him.

"Thanks," Robin smiled softly.

\----------------------------------------------------

"And I assure you, the Wayne Foundation is here to help you and your people rebuild Qurac," Bruce Wayne smiled, shaking hands with Harjavti. The TV turned off and Wally chuckled.

"Gee, Bruce Wayne sure got here fast," Wally smirked. "Almost like he knew-OW!" He was cut off when Robin and Sakura both punched him.

"Don't you have a souvenir to collect or something?" Robin huffed.

"Yeah, what are you gonna take?" Sakura asked.

"Hello Wally!" Wally smiled, hitting his head. He ran over to the TV and grabbed the VHS tape of the pilot episode of Hello Megan. He placed it in front of M'gann's face, showing her the label. "Something you'd like to tell us?" M'gann looked at them before her eyes settled on the tape once more. She let out a soft sigh and looked back at them.

"Growing up on Mars was not a happy time for me. But then I started watching all the broadcasts my uncle sent to teach us about our sister planet, Earth. When I saw Hello Megan something inside of me just clicked and snapped into place. I didn't know if it was the similarities in our name, or if it was the fact that all of Megan's problems could be solved in 22 minutes. But, Hello Megan helped me through a lonely childhood, that's the only thing I really understood. So when I came to Earth and had to adopt a human form, I chose you…well I chose Megan," M'gann sighed, looking at Marie.

"That begs the question…what does M'gann really look like?" Robin asked.

"We won't judge you, and quite frankly, I don't really care," Sakura assured her. "It's who you are on the inside that counts." M'gann stood up and took a deep breath. Her face became more angular, taking after J'onn in appearance. Her hair disappeared completely and she was left bald.

"Bald M'gann…" Wally muttered, looking at her. "Still hot," he smirked. Sakura narrowed her eyes and pushed him off of the chair.

"Do you ever think with the right head?" She growled. Conner walked over to her, gently taking her hands.

"You know you don't have to put on a mask for me," he said, looking her in the eye.

"I don't," M'gann sighed, pulling back, and gripping her arms. Her features softened and her hair grew back. "I do it for me. This is who I am, on the inside. Please don't be mad," she quietly begged Marie.

"Mad? I'm honored," Marie smiled. "M'gann, you saved my son's life. He says that he's your blood brother now. And I agree; you're family."

"Thank you," M'gann smiled, running over to her to give her a hug. "You don't know what that means to me."

"Aw, this is so sweet!" Sakura said with a smile.


	35. Chapter 35

Mount Justice

December 5

"Really?" Sakura gasped.

"Are you serious?" Wally asked.

"Yes, really," Roy huffed, crossing his arms. "And yes I'm serious."

"Yay!" the pinkette cheered, hugging him.

Recognized Artemis

"Artemis!" Green Arrow smiled as the blonde's form began to appear. Artemis stepped out of the zeta tube, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "You're just in time. Guess who decided to join the team."

"Finally!" Wally cheered.

"Sure, I guess the team's needed a real archer," Artemis hissed, walking up to the group. Sakura let go of Red Arrow and latched onto Artemis, nuzzling her face into the blonde's arm.

"I believe you're a real archer!" She chirped with a smile. Artemis smiled back and ruffled the preteen's hair.

"Okay team, I want you to listen up," Green Arrow cleared his throat and began typing away at the computer. "The Dynamic Duo is on a case in Gotham and couldn't be here, but Batman has given me the head's up." An image of Sportsmaster appeared on the holoscreen and Sakura felt Artemis stiffen. "Sportsmaster has been spotted going through the Louis Armstrong International airport in New Orleans"

"In full costume?" Zatanna smirked. "He's got some nerve."

"Not full costume," Sakura rolled her eyes. "You'd have to be a complete idiot to stroll around an airport in your supervillain costume."

"I wouldn't put it like that, but Kunoichi is correct, he was in street clothes," Green Arrow nodded. "Facial recognition software identified him. You're going to find out what he's up to."

"All of us?" Superboy scoffed. "Doesn't that seem like a little much for a shadow job?"

"Perhaps a small squad would be better," Red Tornado suggested. "Miss Martian's camouflage would be ideal."

"I thought the sidekicks, oh wait, sorry! Ex-sidekicks," Green Arrow corrected quickly with a sheepish smile, "could suit up and do this mission. So, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Red Arrow you're up."

"Good, stake outs drive me crazy," Superboy nodded.

"We could use the night off," M'gann agreed.

"I want in," Artemis declared. "With M'gann and Robin out, no one else has logged more hours in piloting the bioship."

"Not true, Sakura's been flying the bioship a lot lately," M'gann pointed out.

"Yeah, because the zeta tubes in Konoha are busted and haven't been fixed yet. It's a long flight from here to the hidden villages. And when I'm approaching in an alien aircraft, it takes a while longer to find it," Sakura reminded her. "But I think Artemis has a few more hours than me." She turned to the older blonde, giving her a sneaky smile. Artemis blinked and gave her a small smirk.

"Artemis, are you sure?" Green Arrow asked.

"Absolutely," Artemis nodded.

\---------------------------------------------

"No offense guys, but even my boredom is bored," Zatanna sighed as they walked through the cave.

"Well, you could have accepted my offer to train," Sakura huffed, crossing her arms.

"Maybe a night off, wasn't the best idea," M'gann sighed.

"I asked before they departed on their mission, and Robin told me that it was a strictly Dynamic Duo mission, I'm not even allowed to know the details," Sakura sighed.

"Red Tornado," Superboy called as they entered mission room. The android turned around and the four teams looked at him sheepishly with small pleading smiles. "Got any good stake outs for us?" Conner requested, rubbing the back of his head.

"I do not. You must find ways of amusing yourselves," Red Tornado told them. The wind picked up and a tornado gathered around his body, lifting him into the hatch above the room.

"That's tornado's apartment, isn't it?" Zatanna asked.

"Yeah, it is," M'gann nodded.

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"Well, he doesn't need to eat or sleep or change clothes, or anything that we have to do really," Zatanna muttered.

"We know. So what's your point?" Conner asked.

"So, my question is, what does he do up there?" Zatanna smirked.

"Why should we care?" Sakura asked, crossing his arms. "It's his apartment, his business. Maybe he just needs some alone time! I mean he's an adult stuck around teenagers ranging from the age of twelve, to sixteen. Just handling three ten year olds drove my old teacher Kakashi-sensei mad. He needed a break from us as well, and he only saw us a few hours a day. Red Tornado is with us every hour of the day. Maybe he just needs some alone time to recharge his batteries."

"Can I speak to you in private?" Zatanna huffed, grabbing Sakura's arm. "Tell us when he's gone!" she shouted as she dragged Sakura out of the room.

"Hey! Let go of me!" Sakura shouted. "Don't touch me!" They entered the kitchen and Zatanna let go, turning around to face the pinkette.

"What is your deal?" the magician hissed. "You were totally nice to me but for the past few days you've been glaring at me and being snarky with me!"

"Oh, so I guess you're not that dense," Sakura hissed, crossing her arms.

"I'm not, now tell me what this is about, what have I done that is so wrong, to make you so hostile towards me?" Zatanna demanded.

"I don't think I should," Sakura huffed. "You got yourself into this mess, and you're going to get out of it. Put those 'brilliant' observation skills of yours to the test. If you could tell that I was mad, then I want you to figure out why I'm mad!" The pinkette turned around and stormed out of the kitchen. "If you really can't figure it out, then I'll tell you!"

\-------------------------------------------------------

"Alright, he's gone," Sakura sighed.

"Etativel!" Zatanna commanded. She flew into the sky and Miss Martian followed after her. "Hctah siri nepo!" The hatch opened up and the two girls flew in.

"Bark if Tornado comes back," Conner ordered Wolf. He picked up Sakura and jumped into the apartment. He landed and let the pinkette down. In the corner of the room was a small Christmas tree. A light flickered on above a lab table. On the table was a red cloth covering an object, an object that was shaped like a body.

"Is that what I think it is?" Zatanna asked.

"I don't smell decaying flesh, so it's not a dead body that he's hiding," Sakura told them. Conner reached out and grabbed the cloth, pulling it off the object. Sakura squeaked, her face turning bright red. In front of them was a male android that was fair skinned. And it was pretty easy to tell what gender it was, if the 'detail' was anything to go by.

"So…is Red building a…'friend' or…what?" Zatanna asked.

"Wait, I thought you were a doctor," M'gann said, questioning Sakura's reaction.

"I'm in training and since I'm twelve, Lady Tsunade restricted my patients to being female and female only," Sakura explained. "I've treated a few guys, but they've had their clothes on, or at least their boxers. I've never actually…seen…that before. And I wasn't planning to until I was at least sixteen!"

"If I would have known, I wouldn't have pulled off the sheet," Conner assured her. "What is he doing with this?"

"Perhaps you should ask 'Red'?" Red Tornado suggested, flying into the room.

"Wolf…" Conner growled.

"You have a great watchdog," Sakura said sarcastically.

"Alright then, what's with the new bot?" Conner questioned.

"I am a robot," Red Tornado told them. "This is an android. I am using him as my alter ego, John Smith so that I may be allowed to walk along humans and interact with them. He can download my consciousness."

"So, it's basically like your party suit," Sakura muttered.

"I think it's a wonderful idea!" M'gann smiled.

"You're approval is appreciated, but your presence is uninvited. Tell me, is this a sign of disrespect?" Red Tornado questioned.

"No! Not at all!" M'gann smiled. "It was curiosity!"

"Boredom," Conner claimed.

"I was coerced into doing this and am here against my will!" Sakura declared. "And I am regretting every second of it.

"You know, he's kinda cute," Zatanna smirked. "But, if the goal is human interaction, you're missing something. Evig mih stnap!" The red cloth floated through the air and enveloped the android's legs, turning into a pair of red pants. "He really needed pants. Regular guys don't go around naked."

"Sakura, you can open your eyes now," M'gann smiled at the pinkette. Sakura slowly lowered her hands and looked at the android.

"Oh thank god," she breathed a sigh of relief. "M'gann, can you please erase that from my mind?"

"Sure thing," the Martian giggled.

\-------------------------------------------------

Mount Justice

December 6

"Let me be very clear, we failed," Aqualad said seriously. "The Injustice League may be in custody, but their allies are still scheming. And we have not learned anything about their plans."

"Gee, I wonder who's fault that is," Red Arrow hissed, glaring at Artemis.

"Don't you put the blame on me!" The female archer protested. "I'm the one that found out that Sportsmaster was working for Brain, Klarion, and Ivo!"

"Yeah, that's great intel," Red Arrow growled, crossing his arms. "But you're missing one small detail; Ivo's been in his cell at Belle Reve this entire time! And the guards just checked, it's really him and not some robot."

"Look, I'm getting tired of you dumping her every chance you get," Wally huffed.

"Yeah, Artemis has done nothing wrong! She's proven herself more than enough times!" Sakura agreed.

"Think again," Red Arrow told her, holding up a small device.

"What? The tracer that Cheshire ditched? What's that got to do with anything?" Wally scoffed.

"No, Artemis ditched us," Red Arrow corrected. He pointed to the tracer in Aqualad's hand. "She put that thing on the train, and put this one on Cheshire!"

"Artemis?" Wally gasped turning to face her. "Are you really that freaked out about Artemis joining the team that you had to take down the bad guy all by yourself to prove something?" Artemis stared at him silently, not saying a word. "Please tell me that I'm wrong." Artemis opened her mouth to respond but quickly closed it, looking away from them in sadness. "Way to go, you've proven that you're selfish and insecure." The sai that Wally had claimed as a souvenir clattered to the ground in front of Artemis's feet. "Keep the damn sai. The tracer is the right souvenir for the mission." With that he grabbed the tracer from Roy's hand and stormed out of the room. Sakura kneeled down and gently picked up the sai, looking at it sadly.

"Way to go, how will you betray us next time?" Roy hissed.

"Enough!" Sakura shouted. "Artemis did nothing wrong! We all make mistakes sometimes!"

"Yeah, but if she didn't make this mistake, we could have a lot more info!" Red Arrow replied harshly.

"That is enough," Kaldur ordered. "If mistakes equal betrayal, then we would all be traitors. I must report this to Batman. The rest of you, get some sleep." The team nodded and slowly left the mission room.

"Artemis," Sakura said softly, facing the older teen.

"Sak, I'm really sorry," Artemis whispered.

"It's okay," Sakura smiled, hugging her tightly. "I trust you, onee-chan." Artemis's eyes widened and she returned the hug.

"Thank you," Artemis whispered. Sakura nodded and pulled away.

"Mind if I keep the sai?" The pinkette winked.

"It's yours," Artemis chuckled.

"Thanks, I'll see ya tomorrow," Sakura smiled, heading for the zeta tubes.


	36. Chapter 36

Mount Justice

December 22

Recognized Kid Flash

Recognized Kunoichi

"Hey there Pinky," Wally greeted.

"What have I told you about calling me that?" Sakura growled as they walked out of the zeta tubes.

"Hey, where's Robin?" Wally asked.

"Uh…I don't know, he wasn't at home yesterday," Sakura shrugged. "Maybe he's on a mission."

"Hey, Red Tornado," Wally smiled as the two teens approached the android. "Do you know where Robin is? Did Batman give him a mission or something?"

"I do not know," Tornado told them. "But wherever he has gone, he took Miss Martian, Superboy, Artemis, and Red Arrow with him as well." With that the android moved on, heading for his apartment. Sakura hummed to herself as she walked past Wally, who stared at her in confusion before it clicked. He ran in front of her, catching her off guard.

"You know where they are, don't you!" He gasped.

"I don't know the specifics, but I know they're on a mission," Sakura answered.

"What did he tell you? Where is he?" Wally asked.

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to ask him," Sakura sighed. "I shouldn't tell the secrets he entrusted to me, he didn't tell you guys about Cherī until she took over. He didn't spill my secrets, and I'm not going to spill his." The pinkette walked past him quickly. She slowed to a stop and sighed. "Wally."

"Yeah?" the redhead asked.

"He could use best friend right now," Sakura whispered. "You should really call him. His communicator is on." With that the pinkette continued walking, entering the living room. Wolf looked up at her and barked in greeting. The pinkette smiled and kneeled next to the wolf.

"Hey boy, it sure does stink that Conner had to leave you behind, huh?" she cooed. Wolf barked in agreement and nuzzled into hand. Sakura giggled at the action, and scratched his ear. "Do you wanna go somewhere with me?" Sakura asked. "You would get to stretch your legs and play." Wolf tilted his head, looking around before nodding in agreement. He stood up and shook off his fur, smiling at her.

"Alright, then let's go," Sakura smiled. "But first I have to get changed."

\-------------------------------------------

Village Hidden in the Leaves

Recognized Kunoichi

Recognized Wolf

Sakura smiled as she and Wolf exited the zeta tubes. The pinkette was wearing a dark pink winter kimono decorated with colorful flowers. The collar of the garment was lined with white fur that dipped into her gold obi and disappeared. Her hair was in a fancy bun with lock framing her face.

The two walked out of the abandoned house and into the streets of Konoha. The street was decorated with lanterns and balloons. Wolf looked up at the pinkette in confusion. Sakura looked down at him and smiled, scratching his ear. "Today is first day of the winter festival. I promised Ino I would try to make it. What do you think?" Wolf barked in approval and followed her silently as they traversed through the streets.

"First, we're going to visit Ino at her flower shop. I want to buy flowers for Kakashi-sensei," Sakura smiled. Wolf nodded in agreement and trotted beside her as they headed for the flower shop.

"Welcome to Yamanaka Flowers!" The blonde girl greeted. "Sakura!" She gasped, running around the counter to hug her friend. "I didn't think you would make it. Especially this close to…what was it called again?"

"Christmas," Sakura supplied.

"Yeah, that's the holiday," Ino nodded. "I didn't think Robin would want to be away from you. Especially with all the mistletoe kisses he could steal." Sakura giggled at her friend and smiled.

"Actually, he's on a mission right now. He should be back for Christmas though," Sakura informed her.

"Ah, I see," Ino nodded. She took notice of the large white wolf next to Sakura and smiled. "Hey there Wolf how you doing?" Wolf barked at her and licked her hand as she reached out to pet him. "So, what can I do for you?"

"I'd like a few yarrows," Sakura smiled.

"Does the color matter?" Ino asked.

"Not really, I'm going to visit Kakashi-sensei, isn't he still in the hospital?" Sakura asked.

"No, he's out now, but he still has a broken leg and is on ordered bed rest," Ino answered, picking out a few yarrows. She cut the stem and wrapped them up, tying the bouquet with a white ribbon. "Tell him that my team says 'get well soon'. And it's on the house!"

"Will do and thank you," Sakura smiled, exiting the flower shop. Sakura walked along the streets with Wolf beside her.

"Hey! Look out!" A voice shouted from behind her. Sakura turned around and her eyes widened when Wolf jumped in front of her growling at the small dog that was running up to them. "Akamaru! What's wrong?" Kiba asked as his own dog stood his ground, growling and glaring at Wolf.

"Kiba, it's great to see you again," Sakura smiled at the boy.

"You too," Kiba nodded. "Hey, who's this?" He asked, looking at Wolf. "I didn't know you had a dog."

"This is Wolf. He belongs to my teammate Superboy, but he's out on a mission right now. I thought it would be nice to take Wolf for a walk," Sakura explained. "Wolf, this is Kiba, and his partner Akamaru, they're friends." Wolf looked up at her and back at the small dog before nodding and backing down.

"I'm sorry about that. Akamaru normally listens to me, but I guess he smelled you and got excited," Kiba apologized. Akamaru barked up at her, his tail wagging.

"Its fine, no one was hurt," Sakura smiled, kneeling down to pet the puppy. "I'm glad that Akamaru is a ninja dog, otherwise Wolf probably would have ripped him to shreds."

"Yeah, that wouldn't be good," Kiba agreed. "So, you here for the festival? Or something else?"

"The festival," Sakura answered, standing up. "And I thought that I would visit Kakashi-sensei while I was here."

"Well, we don't want to keep you," Kiba said with a smile. He picked up Akamaru and placed the dog on his head. "Bye Sakura, bye Wolf."

"Bye Kiba!" Sakura smiled, waving to him as she continued her stroll.

\--------------------------------------------------

Sakura knocked on the door the apartment door in front of her. The door opened, revealing Kakashi, with a cast around his leg.

"Sakura, it's nice to see you," he smiled under his mask.

"Even when on bed rest you still wear a mask," Sakura sighed, walking into his apartment. Wolf followed behind her and laid down at the edge of the couch as she entered the kitchen, grabbing a vase.

"What brings you here?" Kakashi smiled, sliding into one of the dining chairs.

"I'm in the village for the festival, and I'm in your house to make sure my teacher stays in bed," Sakura teased, setting the vase aside. "How's your leg?"

"Its fine," Kakashi nodded. "But more importantly, how's Robin?"

"He's on a mission and he's treating me fine," Sakura smiled, taking out a tea pot and opening the cupboards. "Did you move the tea?"

"Yeah, the cupboard to your right," Kakashi nodded. Sakura switched cupboards and smiled when she found what she was looking for.

"So, why wasn't your leg healed anyway?" Sakura asked.

"I've just reached that point," Kakashi shrugged. "It's been broken too many times. And that made the injury worse. Tsunade managed to reduce it, but you know how things are." Sakura nodded as she placed the pot on the stove. "What's with the wolf?" Wolf looked up at him, tilting his head.

"That's Wolf," Sakura answered. "We were in a mission in India and Superboy found him."

"What happened to him? Was he experimented on?" Kakashi asked.

"Just injected with a permanent steroid type drug," Sakura answered. "He took a liking to Superboy and came back to the cave with us."

"I see," Kakashi nodded. He reached into a jar on the counter and took out a dog biscuit. The silver-haired junín tossed the treat at Wolf who caught it without moving. He ate it quickly but shook his head. "Guess you didn't like it. Well, you are a wolf, not a dog."

"I think you have something he might like," Sakura muttered, opening the fridge. She took out a container and opened it. "You done with this?" She showed him the contents, which was some leftover beef stew.

"Yeah, it's about to go bad anyway," Kakashi nodded. Sakura poured the soup into a bowl and placed it in the microwave for a few seconds before giving the food to Wolf. The giant animal licked his lips and barked in appreciation before eating.


	37. Chapter 37

"You seem a little upset, is something bothering you?" Kakashi asked. Sakura looked up from the pot on the stove and stared at her mentor.

"Not really," Sakura answered, turning back to the meal she was preparing.

"Are you sure? Because normally you would be talking up a storm, but you're quiet today," Kakashi noted.

"Alright, I'm a little upset," Sakura admitted.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked.

"…Robin…" Sakura sighed.

"What did he do?" Kakashi asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"No, he did nothing wrong!" Sakura said quickly. "It's just…I'm not the only girl that likes him. And the way we interact hasn't really changed, except for the kisses and hugs, but that's in private. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised but…"

"But what?" Kakashi prodded. Sakura sat down at the table and sighed.

"I finally have something right in my life, something that is just mine and not Cherī's as well. I finally have someone that loves me, and someone I do love back, but…I'm not the only one that likes him," Sakura told him. "On December first, on his birthday, Kid Flash told Zatanna, another teammate of ours, that it was Robin's birthday. Her birthday present to him was a kiss. So yeah, I guess I'm upset, but…do I get mad at him as well?"

"No, he did nothing wrong," Kakashi agreed with her. "But you do need to confront this Zatanna girl before it's too late and she thinks he likes her back."

"Alright, thank you Kakashi-sensei," Sakura smiled. "I know you're supposed to be on bed rest, but it is the first night of the festival. Would like to go with me?"

"I'd love to," Kakashi nodded.

"Great, dinner should be ready soon! And then we can head out!" Sakura smiled.

\-----------------------------------------------

Mount Justice

December 24

"Zatanna, I need to speak with you, now!" Sakura ordered.

"Is this about why you've been so mad at me lately?" Zatanna asked crossing her arms.

"Yes," Sakura nodded. Zatanna nodded and followed her, entering the training room.

"Okay, I've been racking my brain for the past two weeks, why are you so mad?" Zatanna asked.

"What did you do on December 1st?" Sakura asked.

"What? Is this about Robin's birthday?" Zatanna questioned.

"Yes, more importantly it's about what you gave him as a so called 'gift'," Sakura hissed.

"All I did was give him a little kiss on the cheek," Zatanna scoffed, crossing her arms. "What, are you concerned that it over shadowed the weapon you gave him as gift?"

"No, I'm mad because you kissed my boyfriend!" Sakura shouted as her.

"Excuse me?" Zatanna gasped. "He's not your boyfriend!"

"Yes he is!" Sakura growled. "And you better back off. I don't care if you have feelings for him or not, but he is my boyfriend, so keep your damn distance."

"Etativel reh yawa morf em!" Zatanna commanded. Sakura flew back, slamming into the wall. "You do not get to claim him just because you feel jealous and threatened that I'm here," Zatanna shouted. Sakura growled and took out a few shuriken throwing them at her. They passed by Zatanna, scratching her skin.

"Jealous and threatened? By you? Puh-lease," Sakura muttered, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I'm just telling you now, stay away from my boyfriend."

"Pirt reh!" Zatanna shouted in anger. Sakura fell forward but easily turned the fall into a small roll, landing perfectly crouched.

"You're going to have to try better than that," Sakura huffed, exiting the room.

\-------------------------------------------------

Wayne Manor

"So, does Haly get to keep the circus?" Sakura asked as Robin sat down next to her on the couch. Dick smiled and took off his mask and gloves.

"Yeah, Jack gets to keep the circus, I got to perform a few more times, it was amazing," Dick smiled, sliding his boots off. He shifted his position and laid back on the couch, pulling Sakura down with him. "I even got a great gift from Jack."

"What'd he give you?" Sakura asked.

"An old Flying Grayson poster," Dick smiled. "And, I performed again, just as a favor to him."

"That's nice Dick," Sakura smiled, kissing him lightly. "I talk to Zatanna…well…more like yelled."

"You couldn't keep your temper in check, could ya?" Dick teased, combing his fingers through her hair.

"I tried, but she made me so mad. And she kept saying that I was lying when I told her that you were my boyfriend," Sakura sighed. "She accused me of claiming you because I felt threatened and jealous because she was there."

"I'll talk to her tomorrow," Dick assured her. "Set the record straight." Sakura smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling into his chest. "Why don't we spend the night out here and try to catch Santa in the act," Dick chuckled. "I'm sure Alfred and Bruce won't mind."

"Please…we have the goddamn Batman as our Santa, he's not going to be caught even if we stare at the tree all night long," Sakura scoffed playfully.

"Oh come on, I know you have the winter festival instead of Christmas, but can you pretend? I mean, that was my favorite part of my childhood," Dick smiled. "Staying out in the living room, and trying to stay up as late as possible to get a glimpse of Santa. You're twelve, still a kid and not yet a teenager, indulge a little. Give in to the child inside of you."

"Do we get to watch those corny specials about that reindeer with the glowing nose and that talking snowman?" Sakura asked.

"We can watch that new Rise of the Guardians thing if you want," Dick smiled. "It's kinda Christmas-y."  
"Alright deal," Sakura smiled, kissing his cheek. "The new Jack Frost is kinda cute."

"Hey! I'm right here!" Dick gasped playfully.

"You'll always be cuter," Sakura giggled, tapping his nose.

"Good," Dick smiled, kissing her. "We'll watch the movies in the morning, it's pretty late." As soon as he said that, Dick let out a small yawn and Sakura giggled, yawning herself.

"Ugh! No Fair! You made me yawn!" Sakura pouted before cuddling into him. "But, I guess I can go to sleep now." Dick smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. He shifted their positions to where she was between him and the back of the couch.

"Goodnight Blossom," Dick smiled.

"Night Birdie," Sakura sighed lightly as she closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.


	38. Chapter 38

Hall of Justice

December 30

The team was inside that Hall of Justice, in the room where it all began. On the screen was the scene of a press conference. Superman stood at the podium giving his speech. Sakura was ignoring him in favor of looking at the new girl with awe. Raquel looked at the pinkette nervously.

"Um…is she always like this?" She asked.

"No, you just seem like a cool girl," Robin smiled.

"Sak likes girls that are strong and independent," Artemis smiled. "And you are just that."

"So, why is she staring at me like she's in love?" Raquel asked.

"She looks at Black Canary that way too sometimes," Robin smirked. "She's just beginning to see you as a new person for her to idolize." Raquel nodded her head as Sakura gave her a quick hug and ran over to Robin, hugging him as well. The boy wonder laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her cheek.

"The Justice League was created for two reasons. Number one, no single person, no matter how powerful, cannot solve the problems of the world on their own. Number two to protect and uphold the values of truth, liberty, and justice. That last one is even in the name," Superman chuckled. The reporters laughed along with him, taking pictures. "These five heroes have sworn to uphold those values."

"You are watching live coverage of the Justice League's induction of its five newest members," Cat Grant smiled into the camera. "Looks like everyone from the entire league has shown up to congratulate the new blood, from Batman to Captain Marvel."

"I'm so glad they didn't kick Billy out," Wally smiled, taking a bite of his apple. "And I love the fact that there's a tear-year-old in the League. That's just awesome!"

"I know," Sakura nodded in agreement. "It's so cool that a little kid, a kid even younger than me, can do all the things the league can do! And they acknowledge it!"

"There's a ten-year-old on the league?" Raquel asked in confusion and surprise.

"Way to keep a secret genius," Robin hissed, elbowing his rib cage.

"Hey! She's on the team now," Wally protested. "And why aren't you punishing Pinky?"

"Because Blossom was just agreeing with you," Robin answered. "Plus I would never hurt my girlfriend."

"Good boy," Sakura smiled, kissing his cheek. "You know that I could and would kick your ass." Robin chuckled and held her tighter.

"That is so adorable," Raquel smiled.

"Yeah, they're really cuddly," Artemis nodded.

"Superman is now giving membership cards to Doctor Fate," Zatanna looked away in sadness as the camera showed Doctor Fate, "The Atom, Plastic Man, and Icon."

"You know, I was the one that convinced Icon to become a hero in the first place," Raquel scoffed. "I should be outside celebrating with him, not being hidden away!"

"Welcome to our world," Kaldur smiled at her.

"Well, I suppose there's an upside, too," Raquel smirked at him. Sakura giggled quietly at the girl's attitude.

"Finally," Cat Grant announced "Green Arrow hands his former protégé Speedy, now known as Red Arrow, his own League membership card, and welcomes Red Arrow to the Justice League."

"Way to go Roy!" Wally cheered.

"Looks like he finally got his wish," Kaldur smiled.

"Alright!" Sakura cheered, clapping her hands together. "Oh, but why didn't he tell us?"

"Probably wanted to surprise us," Robin smiled. "He's the first of us to make it. There's no way he'll be called a 'sidekick' anymore."

"Hold up just a minute," Raquel called. "Since when was being a sidekick a bad thing? You guys were my inspiration."

"Well you see," Robin sighed. "Six months ago we-" He was cut off as his watch started beeping. He brought it up, and pressed the screen pulling up a holoscreen. "It's go time." He announced.

\--------------------------------------------------------

Smokey Mountains

"Are you sure it's her?" Artemis asked nervously as the bioship flew through the air. "I mean, are you absolutely positive?"

"See for yourself," Robin told her, pulling up several holoscreens. "Security footage taken directly from the Ashville Regional Airport." The screen showed a video of a maskless Cheshire boarding a plane. She turned her head to look around the video stopped, zooming in on her face. "Facial recognition identified her as Jade Nguyen. You've seen her without her mask. Is it her?"

"Oh yeah, that's her," Artemis sighed.

"Agreed," Kaldur nodded. "But you must focus on the case she is carrying. Is that the case you saw in New Orleans?" The video pulled out on Jade and zoomed in on the case in her hands.

"Yeah, that's the case," Artemis nodded.

"Okay, so I take it from the mug shot that this Cheshire chick is the bad guy," Raquel nodded in understanding. "But what's the big deal about the case? Why's it so important?"

"Well, you remember the Injustice League, right?" Sakura asked as an image of the group came up.

"And their giant evil plant monsters?" Raquel scoffed. "Hard to forget."

"The team and the League put them in prison, but their allies are still scheming," Aqualad told her. "And whatever is in that case is important to their plans."

"We had a chance to grab it in New Orleans, but somebody screwed up and we lost it," Wally said lowly, glaring at Artemis.

"Approaching Cheshire's jet," M'gann announced. The team gasped as they saw the demolished jet lying on the ground. "Looks like there were no survivors."

"Don't be so sure," Sakura told them.

"Why not?" Conner asked. "No one could survive a crash like that, unless they had superpowers or something."

"True," Sakura nodded in agreement. "But we're dealing with Cheshire. She's an elite assassin and a smart person. It seems to me that finding her was too easy. Like she wanted the camera to catch her face and alert us. Cheshire's not stupid; she wouldn't get caught on camera if she didn't want to. And then her plane just crashes, something doesn't add up here."

"Kunoichi makes a good point," Aqualad agreed. "Everyone be on the lookout."

\-----------------------------------------------------

The team walked out the crash site, taking in everything. Sakura crouched down and looked under a bent wing, not finding anything. She walked over towards the door of the plane, running her fingers across the metal.

"How come Homeland Security and the NTSP aren't all over this?" Kid Flash questioned.

"Cheshire's ID showed up on League scans. If she was spotted, the League was to get the alert, not the police. And her jet flew under the radar. It didn't follow its flight plan. The Watchtower recorded the jet and its subsequent crash."

"Then why isn't the League here?" Rocket asked him.

"Because our Boy Wonder has impressive hacking skills," Zatanna smirked

"Yeah, Robin made sure that we got the alert first and the League had no clue!" Sakura smiled at the older girl.

"And because Cheshire, and the case she was carrying, represents our unfinished business," Aqualad added.

"Where are the bodies?" Superboy growled, tossing a small wing away.

"Here's one!" An eerily familiar voice called out. The group looked up, seeing Cheshire standing, unharmed, on the rocky canyon wall. "And if I do say so myself, it is stunning," she purred.

"I knew it," Sakura growled, sliding into a fighting stance and taking out her kunai.

"Why don't we ever listen to Kunoichi?" Kid Flash shouted in frustration.

"I am flora not fauna! I am foliage not tree!" A voice smirked. The teens turned around and saw several goons with Apocalyptian weapons. Above them was the Riddler. "What am I?" with a snap of his fingers several pylons shot out of the ground and encase the area in a dome of energy. "Oh come on, you can get this! I am shrubbery not grass. What am I? I-"

"Am bush," Robin growled out while Sakura sighed the answer.

"Didn't you think we would know that you were on Cheshire's trail?" Riddler smirked. "This is the end game. Ordered from above and carried out by our master strategist, moi."

"Oh shut up!" Sakura growled, throwing a kunai at him.

"Miss Martian is everyone linked?" Aqualad asked.

"Yes," Miss M nodded.

"Then go," Aqualad commanded.

"Ekahs siht ebolgwons!" Zatanna commanded. A snow storm began inside the energy field. Sakura jumped forward, kicking one of the goons in the face and punching another.

"Superboy, Kunoichi, take care of the pylons!" Aqualad ordered.

"Working on it," the clone grunted.

"Yeah, same here," Sakura nodded, throwing a kunai at another goon. Rocket flew by behind and grabbed two of the goons. The spun around and threw them into the rocky wall.

"I've got your back! Go!" Rocket ordered. Sakura nodded and made a beeline for the closet pylon. She took out the sai that Wally nicked from Cheshire and sliced the pylon in half.

"Hey Artemis! Thank Cheshire for the sai if you get the chance!" Sakura smirked.

"Sure thing!" Artemis responded. Sakura took out three kunais and wrapped them with explosives. She ran towards three more pylons and jumped into the air, aiming for them. The pinkette let out a gasp of pain as she was hit by a wave of energy. Two goons closed in on her, one still striking her with energy, and the other, shooting electric disks at her. The attacks suddenly stopped and Kid Flash was in front of her.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Peachy" Sakura grunted.

"Our hands are burned," Cherī informed him. "Holding onto the explosives while being hit by those electric disks was not a good combination. If you hadn't shown up when you did, the tags would have exploded."

"Oh, well, that's always good to know," Kid Flash nodded.

"Kid! Cover Kunoichi while she heals herself," Robin ordered. Sakura sat up and placed her hands together, her chakra surrounding it.

"Yeah yeah, I'll keep your girlfriend safe," Kid Flash nodded. He ran away from the pinkette, knocking out a goon that got too close.

"I think we're healed," Cherī told her.

"Not completely, but it'll have to do," Sakura hissed, taking her hands apart. She grabbed her kunais and threw them at a pylon, making it explode. She then ran towards a goon and slammed her fist against his neck.

"Hguone htiw eht ebolgwons," Zatanna sighed and the snowed slowed to a stop.

"Well, this mission is over," Sakura sighed, straightening up.

"Kunoichi, Superboy, finish the pylons and we can be on our way," Aqualad ordered.

\--------------------------------------------------

Mount Justice

"Tell me if this sounds familiar," Batman growled. "You hacked League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered your lives. And your actions resulted in the capture of three criminals. Doing such, you proved that Warden Strange runs Belle Reve as a cover for criminal activity." The team stood their ground as they were lectured by the caped crusader. "Well done." The teens blinked in shock and looked at each other in disbelief. "And then…there's this." Batman turned towards the open attaché case. "It's biotechnology that has been combined with some form of nano-circuitry."

"Though, I am not acquainted with this form of species," Icon informed them, picking up one of the chips. "The bio component is clearly not of Earth."

"We'll take them to the Watchtower and study them there," Batman announced. He, Red Tornado, Black Canary, and Icon headed for the zeta tubes. Raquel quickly flew over to his mentor, exchanging words. After she was done talking to them the mentors left, leaving the teens alone.

"You guys do realize we were set up, right?" Robin asked.

"Yes," Kaldur nodded. "Cheshire and the Riddler were tipped, and certainly prepared for us."

"I told you guys it was suspicious that she turned her head to the camera! And it was way too easy to find her!" Sakura huffed.

"Oh, we are so not going on about the mole thing again, are we?" Artemis groaned, rubbing her head.

"What are you talking about?" Raquel asked.

"We had some info that there was a traitor on the team," Wally sighed.

"Namely, Artemis M'gann or me," Superboy growled, stepping forward.

"It is more complicated than that," Aqualad said, grabbing his arm. Superboy shoved him away and stormed away from the group. "Though your recent behavior does concern me. Your attack on Mammoth nearly got Artemis killed." Superboy paid him no mind as he walked off. The clone froze, bringing a hand up to grip his head. "Superboy?" Aqualad asked when his hand dropped.

Superboy turned to look at them, his eyes serious. "There's something I need to do."


	39. Chapter 39

"There's something I need to tell you," Superboy continued. "Last month, on Thanksgiving, I went back to Cadmus and discovered a few things. When I was cloned, only half of my DNA was Superman's. The other half was human. That's why I don't…won't ever have full Kryptonian powers."

"You sure?" Robin asked. "Because I saw you fly earlier today. And then you blasted Mammoth with heat vision and punched him with super speed. That seems like full powers to me."

"That's because…I've been using these." Superboy lifted his sleeve and showed them a black shield mark on his arm. "They're called shields. They suppress my human DNA to allow me to have full Kryptonian powers, but only for an hour. But…I think they make me angrier. I'm sorry." He apologized.

"Where did you get those?" Aqualad asked.

"From my human father, Lex Luthor," Superboy answered.

"Lex Luthor is your DAD?" Robin asked in shock.

"Damn, I thought my parents had issues," Sakura muttered. "Of course those issues were concerning my sister not each other, but still."

"He's summoned me to Santa Prisca, tonight," Superboy told them.

"Uh…listen guys," Artemis sighed. "Superboy isn't the only one that comes from bad DNA." Artemis walked over to the computer and brought up three pictures. One of Cheshire, another of Sportsmaster, and the final of a woman dressed in red and orange. She was labeled as 'Retired' while Cheshire and Sportsmaster were 'Active'. "My mother is an ex-con that went by the name Huntress. The rest of my family is active. My dad is Sportsmaster. And he's sending Cheshire, my dear older sister to pick me up and fly me over to Santa Prisca."

"So during that mission," Wally trailed off in realization.

"Yeah, I was so desperate to keep my family a secret that I ditched you guys and went after her myself," Artemis nodded.

"Blossom and I knew," Robin smiled. The teens looked at them in shock. "What, I'm a detective. And Sakura's a shinobi, she's trained to pick up on this kind of stuff. It never mattered to us."

"Your family doesn't define who you are," Sakura smiled, walking over to the blonde. "As I've been telling everyone, you've done nothing wrong." She hugged Artemis and the archer smiled, returning the gesture.

"Thank you," Artemis smiled, pulling away from her. Wally ran over to them and smiled, placing a hand on Artemis's shoulder.

"I'm sorry I doubted. I should have trusted you," he smiled. "And I also should have listened to Pinky, because, let's face it, she's always right."

"You know it," Sakura winked. Artemis chuckled at the two, glad that she had finally come clean.

"Alright, so who's next in the confession party?" Wally laughed.

"I am," M'gann confessed, stepping forward.

"I swear I was just kidding," Wally told her quickly.

"Queen Bee has been…well she's been blackmailing me," M'gann sighed. "She wants me in Santa Prisca too."

"Blackmailing you? But how?" Aqualad asked.

"She's been threatening me with my true Martian form," M'gann answered.

"Bald M'gann? We don't care about that," Robin told her.

"No…that's not my true form," M'gann said softly. She took a deep breath and began transforming. Her body grew larger and she gained a hunchback. Her skin was sickly white with purple veins and muscles showing at some points. Her entire figure was deformed and frightening.

The heroes gasped and took a step back in shock.

"Whoa…" Raquel breathed in awe and shock.

"You…look like the second stage of the curse mark," Sakura whispered. "If you weren't so white, I would believe you did have the curse mark."

"I knew that you guys would never accept me if you knew my true form," M'gann told them telepathically. Her front limbs rose and she gripped her shoulders, hugging herself.

"M'gann…do we truly seem so shallow to you?" Kaldur asked in disbelief.

"I couldn't take the chance," M'gann whispered. "Being a white Martian surrounded by the green majority on Mars, I was constantly rejected. I couldn't stand it to get that treatment from-"

"From me?" Conner asked, stepping forward. He took her hand in his and looked up at her, having a telepathic conversation that the others were not allowed to hear.

"Alright, time to make a plan," Kaldur announced, slipping into the role of leader.

\------------------------------------------------------

Santa Prisca

"Guys! Bring on the cavalry!" Artemis smirked through the mind link. Rocket flew out of the tree line and picked up one of Bane's men, dropping him into the nearby forest. Kid Flash ran out of the woods and knocked several goons off of their feet, and blew them away. Bane growled and powered up, his muscles growing to be twice their size.

Sakura jumped out of the trees and elbowed the side of his face as she flew past. "Remember me?" She smirked, taking out one of her kunai. Bane growled and ran towards her but the pinkette stayed still. She held out her hand and gave off a malicious smirk. "Halt macho, I'm feeling explosive!" She threw her kunai at him and it exploded in front of his face, sending him back. She laughed darkly as she stepped towards him. "As much as I would love to fight you, I'm not the one that does. Guess you're going to be reacquainted with my older sister." With each step she took, Sakura's hair grew longer, and darker. With each word she spoke her eyes shifted from emerald green to an amber yellow.

"Now, the question is, do you remember me?" Cherī teased.

"Of course, how could I forget?" Bane growled, standing up. "I'm actually glad you're here. I've wanted to have a rematch for a while now."

"You wanted it, you got it," Cherī muttered, running forward. She skidded to a stop and flipped backwards as Bane began trying to punch her. She back flipped through the air as Bane slammed his fists onto the ground, creating small cracks. "How adorable," Cherī cooed in a mocking tone. "Now it's my turn." She tightened her arm warmers and slammed her fist onto the ground, creating large cracks. The earth split beneath the force of her punch and the ground collapsed under Bane, trapping him. The superhuman growled and punched the earth, loosening it. He pushed himself out of the ground and ran at the dark pinkette.

"Not on my watch you don't!" Robin shouted, delivering a flying kick. Bane grabbed him by the cape and flung him into the nearby helicopter.

"Etaerc Nibor snoisulli!" Zatanna ordered. Copies of Robin appeared and the multiple boy wonders smirked, running forward.

"Gotta love-"

"An army-"

"Of me!" three Robins smiled. Bane swung his fists, trying to hit Robin, but each clone he hit turned into smoke. Cherī flipped over Bane and sliced the tube that stuck to Bane's head. A cord shot out of Robin's gauntlet and hit Bane, electrocuting him until he passed out.

"Way to go!" Sakura cheered.

"Whoa," Robin gasped, turning to look at her in shock. "Did I just hear Blossom?"

"Yes," Cherī nodded in confirmation.

"Is that good or bad?" Robin asked.

"We don't know," Cherī sighed. The two walked over to the team. Next to them was a river of mud, which contained Blockbuster.

"It is always like this," Rocket smiled.

"Told ya," Zatanna giggled.

"Disaster has been averted and I'm totally feeling the aster," Robin smiled, tucking his hands behind his head.

"Agreed, this has been a good day," Kaldur nodded.


	40. Chapter 40

Mount Justice

December 31

"We have reason to feel proud about yesterday's victories," Kaldur announced. "But one thing remains unchanged."

"The bad guys are still getting insider information on us," Robin sighed.

"Well, at least we know that none of us are the mole," Wally smiled.

"Yeah, that's sort of a relief," Sakura agreed.

"You are correct in the regard that none of you are the mole," Batman assured them as they entered the mission room. "The mole was Red Arrow."

"Roy?" Robin asked in shock.

"No way!" Wally protested.

"Roy would never do that to us," Sakura said firmly.

"Batman, I am sorry, but you must be incorrect," Kaldur told him. "We have known Red Arrow for years. He was Green Arrow's protégé."

"Unfortunately, the Roy Harper we have all known for the past three years was another project Cadmus clone," Red Tornado informed them.

"We learned that the real Speedy was abducted and then replaced immediately after becoming Green Arrow's sidekick," Batman told them. "The clone was programmed with a drive to join the Justice League, which is why he was so angry over his delays in being admitted. It's also why he refused to join the team. This Roy Harper did not know that he was a clone or a traitor. His drive to become League worthy led to him leaving and becoming a hero of his own.

"When he was finally granted access, his secondary programming kicked in and he attempted to betray the League to Vandal Savage. However, I had already deduced that Red Arrow was a clone, the mole. And we were prepared," Batman informed them.

"Savage was subdued, and Red Arrow escaped and is now a fugitive. He is armed and dangerous," Red Tornado informed them.

"If you guys hadn't rescued me from Cadmus," Superboy trailed off, not wanting to even think about him being in Red Arrow's place.

"What happened to the real Roy?" Robin asked.

"We don't know," Batman said. "He wasn't at Cadmus. We have to face the facts that the real Roy Harper could be dead." Sakura looked over at Robin and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a one-armed hug.

"And the clone Roy? Where is he? The team shall find him," Kaldur declared.

"That's a negative. Red Arrow is a member of the Justice League now. We will find him," Batman told them sternly. He placed a finger to his ear and nodded. "I'm needed at the Watchtower. Red Tornado, you stay here with the kids."

Recognized Batman

"Clone or no clone, Red Arrow was one of us," Kaldur told them, facing the teens.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Sakura asked in excitement.

"Yes. We are going after him," Kaldur nodded. Red Tornado approached the teens, before coming to a stop and shutting down.

"Tornado!" M'gann gasped.

"What happened to him?" Conner asked.

"He's shut down," Wally announced.

"All systems are offline," Robin told them, typing away on his hidden computer.

"Guys, I'm sensing some low level mystic forces around him. I don't know if it caused his shut down or not but, now that I think about, I was getting the same vibe from Batman," Zatanna told them.

"Batman, he…called us kids…he never does that," Robin realized.

"Yeah, not even at the Batcave or when we're out of costume," Sakura agreed.

"Look!" Wally gasped, taking something out of Red Tornado's hands. "It's one of those bio tech chip things we took from Cheshire."

"Something is not right here," Kaldur muttered. "Robin, Kid, Zatanna, Rocket. See if you can get Red Tornado online. The rest of you, come with me to track down Ro…Red Arrow." The team, rest of the team nodded and ran out of the room with Aqualad.

\---------------------------------------------------------

Hall of Justice

"The computer log indicates that Red Arrow zeta'd from the Watchtower to the Hall," Artemis announced.

"But that was hours ago. He could be anywhere by now," Sakura sighed. "In order to track him we'd have to find every zeta tube within a reasonable distance and check on those. Then there's a chance that he's gone to an even further zeta tube. We'd be better off searching the entire country by foot."

"Not quite," Aqualad informed her. "Red Arrow has several safe houses full of equipment. One of those safe houses is here." The bioship landed on an apartment complex and Aqualad stood up. "I shall go alone, try to keep him calm. If I need help, I will call for back up."

"Good luck," Sakura called as the Atlantean leader jumped out of the bioship. The team waited anxiously for Kaldur to return with Red Arrow. Minutes later Aqualad and Red Arrow climbed onto the ship. "Roy!" Sakura gasped, running over to the redhead and hugging him. Red Arrow stiffened and slowly patted her back in return.

"Take your seats. Miss Martian, take off," Aqualad ordered. Another seat appeared for Roy and he sat down. The team rode in silence for a few moments before Kaldur decided to break it.

"We were told you were the mole. But we have reasons to doubt that," Kaldur assured his friend.

"Don't doubt anything. I was the mole," Roy confessed.

"Batman and Red Tornado said that you were a Cadmus clone, like me," Superboy told him.

"That explains it," Roy sighed. "I was a sleeper agent, preprogrammed to infiltrate the League. I think Sportsmaster was my handler. He had this phrase, 'Broken Arrow', it shut me down. He used it so he could steal secrets for the higher ups, or incorporate new programming. I've been carrying out those orders subconsciously. And I think one of those orders was to focus suspicion onto the three of you." Roy turned around to face Conner, M'gann, and Artemis. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, you weren't in control of your actions," Artemis smiled. "All's forgiven."

"How did Batman discover this information? And then prevent you from betraying the League?" Aqualad asked.

"He didn't," Roy answered. "The entire League is under the mind control of Vandal Savage. During the induction party he made me place these chips onto each of the Leaguers, bringing them under his control. He called it Starro Tech. It was some kind of alien bio-organism infused with nano technology and magic. It shuts down the mind and the person's will, allowing Savage to use them however he sees fit."

"I'm sorry but, how is it that you are no longer enslaved?" M'gann asked.

"For starters, I never got the Starro chip. I just had my Cadmus programming," Roy answered. "And once I fulfilled my duties, my mind began to clear. I'm sure Savage planned to put a chip on me, but he paused to…bask. So I took my chance and escaped."

"I promise, I can cleanse any residual programming from your mind," M'gann assured him.

"Miss Martian! Are you in range?" Robin asked.

"I'm here Robin. Linking both squads and decamouflaging." The bioship came to a halt and a hole opened on the floor. The Super Cycle rose into the bio ship and landed on the floor once it materialized.

"Great, because we really need to compare notes," Robin hissed. Sakura flew out of her seat and ran forward, placing her hand on Black Canary's head. Her blue eyes, which had opened, fluttered closed.

"She was waking up. I figured you had her tied up for a reason," Sakura explained.

"Nevermind that, what did you do to her?" Artemis asked in shock.

"I put her to sleep, I think," Sakura answered. "I don't know, I've never done that technique before. I can soothe a person's mind, but I didn't know I could put them to sleep doing it. I mean, I knew it was possible but I've never done it before." She looked down at her hand in shock.

"Well then, it's a good thing you did it," Robin told her. "She could have attacked us again. Now it's time for us to compare notes and make a plan."


	41. Chapter 41

Watchtower

"RT did it," Robin announced. "As soon as he arrived he wirelessly bypassed the security for us. Savage shouldn't know that we're here."

"Alright team, move." With Kaldur's order, the team split up. For each member of the League they came across.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura flipped out of the way as Hawkwoman swung her mace. She ran at her and grabbed the mace as it swung once more, hissing at the pain. She pushed the mace away and quickly punched the winged woman, sending her into the air. Hawkwoman's wings spread out and she flew at the pinkette. Robin leaped at Hawkwoman, grabbing her legs. They both slammed onto the ground and Wolf jumped on her as well, pinning her down. Sakura ran forward and quickly pressed the chip onto her neck. Hawkwoman stopped struggling and passed out. A lasso was about to wrap around Sakura when a blue force field protected her. Wonder Woman growled and pulled her rope back.

"Now," Robin ordered. The force field disappeared from Sakura and Rocket quickly placed one around the Amazon.

"Can she escape your force bubble?" Sakura asked as Robin raced over to a Green Lantern that was pinned under Sphere.

"Not if she keeps punching it!" Rocket answered. "The kinetic energy is just making it stronger. But I'm just stuck here! Anything I do risks freeing her."

"Look out!" Robin shouted, flipping over her. He aimed a kick at Batman but the caped crusader dodged it quickly. Rocket flew out of the way before she could get punched, but she kept her concentration on Wonder Woman.

"Release her," Sakura ordered, taking off her scarf. She tossed it to the side and slid down her arm warmer, revealing several hair ties.

"Are you nuts?" Rocket shouted at the pinkette.

"I've always wondered who was stronger, Lady Tsunade or Wonder Woman. I can finally test it. Let her go. I can take her," Sakura assured her. The pinkette pulled her long hair into a ponytail and tightened it.

"Just say the word and I'll lock her up again," Rocket told her.

"I'll be fine," Sakura smirked, sliding into a fighting stance. The bubble around Wonder Woman disappeared and the enraged Amazon flew at Sakura. The pinkette dropped to the ground, and kicked WW in the stomach. The Amazonian grunted; caught off guard for a moment. Sakura took the chance to throw kunais and shuriken at her but WW recovered and deflected them with her bracelets.

"Oh right…I forgot about those damn things," Sakura hissed. WW took her lasso and swung it around. Sakura ducked and then flipped into the air to avoid it; as she was airborne, the rope wrapped around her torso. She was swung around and slammed into a wall, creating a crater. Sakura growled and took a hold of the rope, pumping her chakra into her arms so she could slide out.

"Good thing I'm use to blows like that," she hissed. She was knocked out of her thoughts when WW punched her chin, sending her flying. Sakura twisted through the air and slid to a stop in a crouch. Sakura lunged forward, taking out a few more kunais. She ducked and dodged each punch that Wonder Woman sent her way. Sakura got close and sliced WW's arm before kicking her in the stomach. WW slammed into a nearby pillar before she got back up.

The Amazon quickly flew at Sakura grabbing her ponytail. Sakura let out a shout as she was swung around by her hair. She hissed and reached for her belt taking out a kunai. The pinkette sliced her hair and flew through the air, hitting the wall, hard. She groaned as she shakily stood up. Sakura spat some blood out of her mouth and looked up at Wonder Woman who simply tossed the pink hair aside and ran at Sakura, her fist raised.

Sakura wasn't able to dodge the blow to her face and she tumbled backwards. She didn't let the force of the punch stop her and she lunged forward, tackling Wonder Woman to the ground. The pinkette began punching the Amazon in the face. Wonder Woman grabbed her wrists and easily kicked Sakura off, causing the pinkette to slam into the ground once more.

Wonder Woman stood up and cracked her knuckles running at Sakura once more. The pinkette rolled out of the way and kicked the feet out from under the crazed woman. She slammed her heel into Wonder Woman's gut and quickly bent down, placing the chip on her neck. Wonder Woman's eyes became hazy for a moment before her head dropped to the side and her whole body relaxed.

"Whoa," Rocket whispered, landing next to the panting Sakura. "Remind me to never get you mad." Sakura laughed at her reaction but winced, grabbing her stomach.

"Just give me a moment to heal," she whispered, falling to her knees.

"Sakura! What happened to you?" M'gann gasped, flying over to them.

"I went head to fist with Wonder Woman," Sakura winked. "Even if you've been training for several years and have an impressive endurance, I don't recommend it." She winced as one of her ribs healed. "Go on without me. I'll catch up."

"No way, just keep healing yourself," M'gann told her, wrapping one of Sakura's arms around her shoulders. M'gann floated into the air and flew off with the pinkette. Rocket was right behind the two.

\-------------------------------------------------------

"We're here!" Rocket announced as they entered the bay.

"Blossom!" Robin shouted as he saw the pinkette. M'gann landed and gently passed Sakura to Robin. "What happened to you?"

"What can I say, Wonder Woman packs quite the punch," Sakura smirked lightly. "I've already healed everything major, like my broken bones. But the bruises, those aren't a top priority.

"You're absolutely crazy," Robin chuckled lightly, rubbing his nose against hers. The pinkette winced and pulled back.

"I think she broke my nose," she explained in a hiss.

"Sorry," Robin smiled.

Happy New Year, Justice League

A clock appeared, showing the date and time: January 1st 00:00:00. A little tune began playing to celebrate the new year. Wally smiled and picked up Artemis, bridal style.

"I should have done this a long time ago," he smiled.

"No kidding," Artemis smirked, wrapping her arms around his neck. They pressed their lips together, sharing their first kiss. M'gann and Conner turned towards each other, and smiled into their New Year's kiss.

"Happy New Year," Robin smiled, kissing Sakura's lips lightly.

"I'm liking this team more every day," Raquel smiled, grabbing Kaldur's chin. She smirked and kissed the corner of his mouth lightly, causing his eyes to widen in shock.

"Human customs still elude me," Red Tornado sighed. Zatanna took a step back and looked away from the kissing teens, giving Robin a longing look. She sighed and turned away, giving them their privacy.

\----------------------------------------

Sakura winced as she walked towards the meeting room.

"Are you sure you don't need any help? You're limping," Robin told her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sakura nodded. They both came to a stop as Wonder Woman walked up to them.

"Robin, can I talk to Kunoichi for a moment? Alone?" she requested.

"Sure," Robin nodded, continuing on. The two stood in silence until they were sure that Robin was gone.

"I'm sorry for hurting you so badly," She apologized.

"Its fine, you weren't in control of your actions," Sakura assured her. "Besides, it was a good fight."

"You're happy about it?" Wonder Woman asked in shock, taking in Sakura's smile.

"Well, I'm not happy that I got beat up so badly, but yeah, I'm glad we fought. It taught me a lot. I still have a lot to learn in hand to hand combat, and our fight taught me a few new moves," Sakura smiled. "Besides, my wounds will be healed by tomorrow. Once I see Lady Tsunade, I'll be good as new."

"That's great," Wonder Woman smiled in relief. "And…I'm sorry about your hair." Sakura reached up and gently touched the frayed ends of her now shoulder length hair.

"No…its fine…" Sakura smiled sadly. "You weren't the first person to use my hair against me in a fight. That's my fault for keeping it so long and in a ponytail too. I actually liked it shorter," Sakura confessed.

"Then why did you grow it out?" Wonder Woman asked.

"No time to cut it," Sakura shrugged. She winced and put a hand on her shoulder, soothing the pain.

"Listen, you fought like a true Amazon today, and you managed to take me down, that's not an easy feat," Wonder Woman smiled. "If you'd like, I could train you. Teach you more moves, help improve your strength, and help you control it more."

"Really?" Sakura asked in shock.

"Yes, it would be an honor," Wonder Woman nodded.

"I would love that. But I'd have to talk to Lady Tsunade. I mean, she is my current teacher. And she's training me to be a medic," Sakura told her.

"Don't worry, it's an open invitation," Wonder Woman said. "When you finish your medic training, or feel like you're ready, just contact me and we can get training right away."

"Alright," Sakura nodded. Wonder Woman smiled at her and let the pinkette continue on her way.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

"Everything I thought I knew about myself was a lie," Roy sighed. "I'm not a hero, or a sidekick. I'm a traitor…a pawn."

"Roy, it'll be alright," Black Canary told him, placing a hand over his fist.

"I'm not Roy," Red Arrow told her. "I don't know who I am. All I do know is that I need to find the real Roy. I need to rescue Speedy."

"Guardian is already searching Cadmus for Speedy," Batman told him.

"You're the real Roy to me," Sakura told the redhead. "I never met the original Roy; I met you, not him. You may not be the original, but you are real."

"Yeah, just because you're a clone doesn't make you any less real," Robin agreed. "I mean, look at Superboy. He's the clone of Superman but that doesn't make him any less of his own person. He has his own personality, his own thoughts, everything about him is just as real as us. And you're the same."

"Thanks for the pep talk guys, but I need to do this," Red Arrow told them, standing up. Green Arrow and Black Canary followed him out.

"Something else is wrong," Kaldur stated, noticing Robin's uneasy look. The 14-year-old looked at his mentor and sighed.

"The entire League was under Savage's control for just over a day," he told them. "We've accounted for most of that time. Except for these six," Headshots of Batman, Hawkwoman, John Stewart, Martian Manhunter, Superman, and Wonder Woman appeared. "They went missing for a full sixteen hours. Time that we couldn't track."

"Sixteen hours…" Batman grumbled. "What did we do?"


	42. Epilogue

Wayne Manor

March 28

Two Years Later

The bedroom door slowly opened, bringing light into the darkened room. Dick peered inside, holding a tray in his hands. Over the past year the room had really brightened. Instead of being white, colorless, and kind of dull, it was now the complete opposite. The walls had been painted light pink with white Japanese characters painted on the wall as well. The bookshelf was new, and was sleek and stylish, filled with more than just medical scrolls and journals. It also held novels and a few children's book that Sakura admitted that she liked to leaf through for nostalgia. A corner of the room had colorful bean bags and butterfly chairs around a plasma screen TV. Sakura's bed was covered with colorful and fluffy pillows, and a furry pink throw blanket. There was a table in the other corner, with some Japanese statuettes and figurines, as well as decorative fans to display. Her desk was made of a light colored wood and had a sleek white laptop on it.

Dick could tell that Sakura was still asleep in her bed. He chuckled to himself and entered her room, closing the door behind him. He set the tray on her dresser and turned on her bed side lamp.

"Blossom, wake up," Dick smiled, shaking the pinkette. Sakura groaned and snuggled deeper into the mattress, bringing the throw blanket over her head. Dick rolled his eyes and climbed onto the bed, sitting next to her. "Come on, it's your birthday, you have to wake up," Dick coaxed, running his fingers through her short and tangled hair.

"Don't wanna," Sakura grumbled. She turned over and wrapped an arm around his waist, cuddling into him. "Can't we just sleep?"

"It's your fourteenth birthday, you really want to sleep?" Dick chuckled.

"Yes," Sakura answered bluntly.

"Alright, I guess I'll just give your breakfast to Jason," Dick sighed, beginning to get up.

"No wait!" Sakura shouted, sitting up straight. "I'm up. Can I have my breakfast now?" Dick chuckled and leaned over to kiss her.

"How is it that food can get you up but I can't?" Dick chuckled into the kiss.

"Because I didn't eat dinner last night. But I did see you," Sakura answered. Dick shook his head and rolled his eyes, pointing to the tray on the end table.

"Oh, pancakes eggs and bacon!" Sakura gasped, looking at the food. "Alfred's really going to let me eat in bed?"

"Yep, and I made all that food too," Dick smiled. Sakura grinned at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him again.

"Best morning ever." She giggled.

"Come on, eat up," Dick told her, gesturing to the tray. Sakura nodded and placed the tray on her lap, quickly eating the food.

\----------------------------------------------------------

Mount Justice

Recognized Kunoichi

Recognized Nightwing

"Morning everyone," Sakura smiled as she and Dick entered the cave.

"Morning," They greeted back. The girls quickly crowded around Sakura, taking her away from Dick.

"What's their deal?" Jason, the new Robin grumbled.

"Its Blossom's birthday," Dick, now known as Nightwing answered. "I've been telling you for the past month."

"Oh yeah…" Jason muttered. He shrugged and returned to his hand held game. "Happy fucking birthday to her."

"Robin!" Nightwing scolded.

"Sorry, I just don't really care about your girlfriend as much as you do," Jason muttered.

"I believe it is your language that he has a problem with," Kaldur told him.

"Well he can shove it right up his-"

"Robin!" Nightwing snapped, glaring at his little brother. "Can you try to at least be a little nice today? Tone down on the words."

"I can try, but I won't promise anything," Jason answered.

"How did he end up taking your place again?" Wally snickered.

"He certainly has a mouth, that's for sure," Superboy nodded.

"Sometimes I ask myself that question every day," Nightwing sighed.

"Fuck you too bro," Jason smirked, pressing the buttons on his game.

\---------------------------------------------------------

"Happy birthday," Artemis smiled as the girls entered the waterfall room.

"Sorry we didn't set up a party, it just didn't seem like you'd want one," M'gann smiled.

"It's fine," Sakura smiled.

"So, have you told Nightwing yet?" Raquel asked.

"No…I haven't," Sakura sighed. "But I'm going to tell him tonight."

"I hope he takes it well," Artemis sighed.

"So do I," Sakura nodded.

"You do know that if you do this, you may not come back. Do you really want to?" Raquel asked.

"Yes, it's my job, I have to do it," Sakura nodded. "It's what I was trained to do. To an extent, it's what I was born for. And I've made up my mind."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Artemis sighed.

"So do I," Sakura confessed. "I am still a bit anxious and unsure, but I know that it's the right thing to do. I just hope Birdie forgives me for it."

\--------------------------------------------------

Wayne Manor

"So, you wanna go out for dinner?" Dick asked as he and Sakura sat in the living room watching a movie with Jason.

"She can't," Jason answered.

"Since when do you dictate what she can and can't do?" Dick laughed.

"Jason, can you give me and Dick a moment to talk in private?" Sakura asked. Jason paused the movie and sighed.

"Just don't get too damn loud," he told them before leaving.

"Blossom, what's wrong?" Dick asked, taking her hands in his.

"Its…I…Jason's right…I can't go out tonight," Sakura told him.

"Why not?" Dick asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Dick…I…I'm returning to Konoha," Sakura confessed. "Tomorrow."

"Why? Is something wrong with you? Or Cherī?" Dick asked with worry lacing his voice.

"No, everything's fine, I promise," Sakura smiled. "There's nothing wrong. Everything with Cherī is under control. But…that's not why I have to go."

"Is it a social visit?" Dick asked.

"No…" Sakura answered. "It's for Sasuke."

"What?" Dick asked, standing up and looking down at her in shock. There were traces of anger on his face and in his eyes.

"Not for the reasons you think, honest," Sakura told him. She stood up quickly and looked into his eyes. "It's just…his three years are almost up. In a few weeks Orochimaru will attempt to take over Sasuke's body and have the Sharingan. If that happens, the whole Shinobi world could be plunged into war; a war…that could very well step out of the hidden villages and include the modern world."

"So you're going to save him," Dick answered.

"Yes, because he is my teammate, not because I love him. And I won't be alone," Sakura told him. "Naruto is going to be fighting right beside me. And you remember what I told you the last time they fought, don't you. I don't want either of them to die. Just like how you think of Jason as your brother, Naruto and Sasuke are mine. And, I can't let them kill each other. Dick, I have to protect my village and bring my team back together."

"How long will this take?" Dick asked.

"I-I don't know…" Sakura answered. "I don't know when I'll come back…or if I even will."

"What do you mean by that?" Dick asked. Sakura sighed and sat down, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"There is a large chance that we may not find Sasuke in time, or there's a chance that he's truly gone bad. Both of those lead to war. No matter what, there will be a war. That is why I may not come back," Sakura answered solemnly.

"Sakura, you can't go," Dick told her, sitting next to her.

"I have to," Sakura stated. "I have a duty to my village; I must protect the villagers and Lady Tsunade."

"Sakura, you barely even keep in contact with anyone in any of the hidden villages anymore. You don't have to go," Dick told her.

"I have to. I'm sorry," Sakura whispered, a tear running down her cheek.

"Guess there's no other choice," Dick sighed. "Promise me that you'll keep in touch."

"I'll try," Sakura chuckled. "But you never know what will happen."

"Keep your comm. link, bring it with you. We'll keep you company," Dick smiled.

"Not allowed. Lady Tsunade doesn't want the League or the Team to be involved unless absolutely necessary. She said I'm not allowed to bring anything, for it might cause an international incident," Sakura told him.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out," Dick assured her, kissing her forehead. "I won't let us fall apart."

"Thank you for being so understanding Dick," Sakura smiled.

"I'm your boyfriend…it's my job," the sixteen year old smiled and leaned down, kissing her softly. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing them closer. Dick wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled the younger girl onto his lap, deepening the kiss.

"Disgusting!" Jason shouted, causing the two to pull apart. "People use the damn couch!" Dick rolled his eyes at his little brother and pulled Sakura close, kissing her again. Sakura giggled as Jason started fake gagging over the affection. "Ugh! We can continue watching the movie when you return from this mission," Jason growled. "I'm not gonna wait for you two to be done swapping spit! That could take hours!" With that the young boy stormed back out of the living room, leaving the two to themselves.

"You know what I just realized?" Sakura laughed.

"What?" Dick asked, kissing her nose.

"You're going to have to deal with Jason on your own," the pinkette told him. Dick groaned playfully and tightened his hold on her.

"Can't you send Jason in your place?" He asked, capturing her lips again. Sakura laughed into the kiss and cuddled into her boyfriend.

\----------------------------------------------------

Wayne Manor

March 29

"Well, do you have everything?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, I have everything," Sakura nodded, clutching the straps of her back pack.

"Can't believe they're making you take a fucking plane," Jason grumbled.

"Hey, it's not Lady Tsunade's fault. The zeta tube's been acting up and they haven't been able to fix it," Sakura sighed.

"Alfred's ready to take you to the airport," Dick announced. "You say your goodbyes to everyone?"

"Yes, I said goodbye to the girls last night, and I told the boys this morning," Sakura answered.

"Come back soon, alright?" Dick requested.

"I'll come back as soon as I can," Sakura nodded, giving him a quick kiss.

"Don't die alright," Jason huffed. "I don't wanna go to a fucking funeral for you."

"Don't worry Jason, I won't die," Sakura smiled, ruffling his head. "You be careful too alright. Don't die."

"I won't," Jason smiled at her. "I won't die unless you do." He blinked and crossed his arms, glaring at the wall. "Can't believe you're turning me nice."

"Hopefully I'll continue to be a good influence even when I'm so far away," Sakura giggled.

"As if!" Jason smirked. "I'm going to be twice as bad now that you're not here!"

"I don't doubt that," Sakura smiled. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, to which the twelve year old gagged, sticking his tongue out in disgust. "Thanks for everything Bruce," Sakura smiled, turning to the billionaire.

"It was my pleasure," Bruce told her. "It was rather nice having you here. I hope you decide to stay here when you return. The mountain can get quiet cold in the winter."

"I know," Sakura smiled. She gave him a quick hug and smiled, kissing his cheek as well.

"I'll keep in touch as much as possible!" Sakura smiled as she slid into the car.

"You better," Dick told her, giving her one last kiss. "And I agree with Jason, don't die. I don't ever want to go to your funeral."

"I make no promises. But I'll try my best," Sakura agreed.

"See you soon," Dick smiled.

"See you soon," Sakura agreed.


End file.
